DA promotes rabbit raising

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is promoting rabbit raising in urban and peri-urban areas as part of its push for food security.

In a memorandum circular dated Feb. 6, the DA issued its guidelines on rabbit raising in urban and peri-urban areas for the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP) of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

“Through this program, the BAI will encourage rabbit meat raising through the provision of starter modules to qualified recipients/households. This will create awareness of the potential of rabbit raising as an alternative source of income,” the DA said.

According to the agency, rabbit raising can be a supplementary source of income, especially for farmers or households in urban and peri-urban areas.

It noted that rabbit meat has high protein content, iron, and minerals, and is low in cholesterol.

“The project intends to establish and sustain rabbit production for meat in urban and peri­ urban areas by providing starter modules (breeder stocks, cages, feeds, and technical assistance) for the women and men beneficiaries. Furthermore, it aims to promote rabbit meat production as a source of food and livelihood,” the memorandum circular said.

To be eligible for the program, the recipients must have an area of at least 200 square meters.

They are required to submit a letter of intent addressed to the BAI director. They must belong to farmer groups or households or institutions to be clustered for monitoring and biosecurity purposes.

Potential beneficiaries will be identified by the DA-RFO and/or LGU, which will endorse them to the BAI.

Beneficiaries will be selected, screened and validated by the Technical Working Group (TWG) created and organized by BAI to determine qualified recipients.

A memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the selected beneficiary, BAI, and LGU will be signed prior to the distribution of modules and information, education, and communication (IEC) materials.

The BAI will distribute five heads of two-month-old rabbits as breeder stocks with one set of three-layered rabbit cage, and 25 kilograms of rabbit feed for each beneficiary.

The DA said the BAI would implement projects under the NUPAP, which aim to achieve food security, provide an alternative source of livelihood, and aid in solid waste management in a limited area/space.

The program “aims to make food abundant in urban and peri-urban areas by supporting the establishment of community gardens and farms while increasing awareness on human health through nutrition and inspiring citizens to contribute to innovative, economic, and environmentally sustainable food systems towards the uplifting of Filipino communities.”

Apart from rabbits, the NUPAP will establish various livestock and poultry farms tailor-fitted to urban or peri-urban environmental conditions.

Meanwhile, the DA issued an administrative circular formalizing the suggested retail price (SRP) of P125 per kilogram of medium- and big-sized imported red onion in wet markets within the National Capital Region (NCR).

This was issued “in order not to aggravate the current difficulties of the Filipino people affected by the pandemic and rising fuel prices as well as to guide the consuming public on the reasonable prices of basic necessities in the market.

The DA said the SRP shall take effect immediately and remain in effect for 60 days from approval.

It noted that the retail price of onions skyrocketed to P600 per kilogram in the last week of December, causing the DA to issue sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC) for the importation of onions to augment local supply.

The DA’s regular monitoring of basic necessities and prime commodities provided basis to set the SRP.

Republic Act (RA) No. 7581 or the Price Act declares that the State shall ensure “the availability of basic necessities and prime commodities at reasonable prices at all times without denying legitimate business a fair return on investment.”

It further states that it is the “policy of the State to provide effective and sufficient protection to consumers against hoarding, profiteering and cartels with respect to the supply, distribution, marketing and pricing of said goods, especially during periods of calamity, emergency, widespread illegal price manipulation and other similar situations.”

The implementing rules and regulations of RA No. 7581 empowers and directs the DA to issue an SRP for any or all basic necessities and prime commodities under its jurisdiction to guide producers, retailers, and consumers.