Abstract
A study was conducted to analyze the socio-economic factors influencing commercialization of rabbit production in communal areas of Mt Darwin district of Zimbabwe. A study sample of 85 smallholder rabbit farmers was randomly selected across the study area. Data were collected by means of questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed that 81.2% of respondents had attained some form of education and 63.5% had more than 6 years of rabbit farming experience. It was also observed that access to agricultural extension services, rabbit producer price, agricultural education and experience in rabbit keeping significantly (P < 0.05) influenced commercialization of rabbit farming by the farmers. It was concluded that improved access to agricultural extension services by a farmer, good rabbit producer prices, level of agricultural training attained by a farmer and years of rabbit farming experience of a farmer ease farmer’s ability to adopt commercial rabbit production and hence a higher production level. It was recommended that Zimbabwe national government create an enabling environment that promotes adequate technology transfer to farmers. Also, an investment in agro-industries that deal with the value chain components of rabbitory could be embarked upon by the government in order to improve on value-addition by farmers which would in-turn lead to more favourable prices.
Highlights
In developing countries, small livestock production is perceived to improve household food security (Cheeke, 1986; Lukefahr and Cheeke, 1990)
The purpose of this study was to identify the socio-economic factors that determine the commercialization of rabbit production among rural communal farmers in Mt Darwin district, Zimbabwe
The study results indicated that the majority of households in Mt Darwin, northern Zimbabwe benefited from home consumption of rabbit meat and few from sale of rabbits, the extent varied among households
Summary
Small livestock production is perceived to improve household food security (Cheeke, 1986; Lukefahr and Cheeke, 1990). During the World Rabbit Congress of 2004, a proposition of the Small-Scale Rabbit Production Model was introduced and ratified (Lukefahr, 2004) This model was meant for the Less Developed Countries so that they could adopt rabbit keeping as a livelihood strategy. The Zimbabwe Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development in partnerships with various Non-Governmental Organizations in food security and livelihoods programmes are implementing small livestock income generating projects targeting vulnerable rural communities in semi-arid environments of Zimbabwe (Chimedza and Kamusewo, 2010). One such rabbitry project area is Mount Darwin district in northern Zimbabwe
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