Rabbit Production in Ha Tay

1. Rabbit Production in Ha Tay VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

2. Who we are • Goat and Rabbit Research Centre in Vietnam (VGRRC) • located in Ha Tay Province • founded in 1978 • 70 scientific and extension staff • 64,9 ha • 50 ha for trials fodder production, trial fields intercropping, forest and fish ponds • VGRRC demonstrates the advantages of integrated farming on site VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

3. Ha Tay Province • in northern Vietnam • 2.193 km² • 14 Districts • Ba Vi National park 7000 ha • Population: 2.386.770 • Kinh • Muong & Dao (ethnic Minorities) • Main sources of income: • Agriculture, Small Business, Tourism • Average per capita income per annum: • 70 bis 120 US$ Ha Tay Province Hanoi VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

4. Ha Tay ProvinceSon Tay and Ba Vi district Son Tay & Ba Vi VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

5. What we do: Research Extension Training • Integrated Farming Systems • Improving small animal husbandry techniques • Breeding programme • Fodder production VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

6. Results achieved so far are based on simple low-cost technologies and on training. The main beneficiaries are small-scale women farmers who not only carry out much of the work at farm level but who were and continue to be the processors and marketers of their high quality products. Rabbit husbandry is responding rapidly to market demands and opportunities in the form of meat. This approach enabled the provision of a high rate of return to farmers and has resulted in the successful and sustainable operation of the farms. This approach also attracted significant attention from other donors. VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

7. More than 100.000 t. Rabbit meat/year Ex-URSSR China Spain France Italy Important Producers Vietnam (18.000 t) per year Indonesia Nigeria USA Brazil Rabbit Production in the world VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

8. Commodity prices 2002 Over the years, prices for rabbit and goat meat as well as goat milk have risen steadily. Rabbit and goat production offer high rates of returns for farmers. VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

9. Successful breeding • Rabbits can generally breed year-round • A female starts breeding when four to six months old • Gestation takes only one month • It is possible to have 8 young per litter, on-farm three to four times a year • It takes about 4 months to produce a 2 kg animal Cross breeding local rabbits with New Zealand white VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

10. Breeding programme • Cross breeding: • LOCAL BREEDS • with • New Zealand White • California • for • Meat production local rabbits, indigenous to Vietnam hardy, proliferous, grey and black colour VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

11. Management • Rabbits are quiet, shy animals • They need PROTECTION • from heat, rain, direct sunshine, winds sudden noises • and predators • Here the stables are constructed within an old house, thus providing the ideal tranquil and shady environment rabbits need This farmer has started an exemplary rabbit production VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

12. Rabbit husbandry • Rabbits are kept in • confinement all year long • various designs are used, farmers mix traditional and modern materials • Some farmers place cages under trees, covering them with straw mats to provide protection from sun, wind and rain A small production unit, providing shade and protection from wind and rain for the animals, VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

13. Stables • Feeding mangers are ideally placed separated from the habitat and accessible from two cages, thus separating two groups of animals In this farm, the mangers are made from wood. VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

14. Water supply • Rabbits do need fresh drinking water. • Here the farmer found a solution that makes the provision of fresh and clean drinking water easy for him Some farmers feed their breeding stock with cooked rice instead of buying supplements VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

15. Animal feedstuff • Rabbits can subsist on many feedstuffs • Coarse leaves, shrubbery, kitchen residues, fibrous vegetation For improved production they do need grain and mineral supplements This simple cutter for biomass at a price of 300.000 VN Dong makes life easier for the farmer • Cutting through young branches easily, it can cut through all on farm produced animal feedstuffs and reduces the workload of the farmer considerably VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

16. Fodder conservation • Here cassava leaves have been cut and dry in the sun • They will be stored later and contribute to a balanced ration during the dry season • Simple low-cost technology reduces the work load of farmers • Biomass can dry evenly, thus, a higher quality is achieved; storage and feeding is made easier VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

17. Extension Regular extension visits are made VGRRC provides assistance and advise VGRRC assists farmers in marketing rabbits VGRRC offers a buck exchange programme VGRRC has a veterinary laboratory, offering farmers diagnostic facilities The extension team with having tea with a farmer after the extension visitit VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

18. Training courses for subsistence farmers in their villages • VGRRC offers training courses for subsistence farmers • at VGRRC • at their villages • lectures are given on all aspects of rabbit husbandry, including disease prevention through management and disease control strategies Participants of a training course in Van Hoa, November 2002 VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo

19. You can find us in the WWW: For example at: http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/lps/dairy/fdp/vietnam.htm http://www.kehlbach.de/ or contact by e-mail: binhbavi@netnam.vn by Telephone: 0084 (0) 34 838 341 via Fax: 0084 (0) 34 838 889 VGRRC: Rabbit production by Susanne Hugo