Cuniculture, the breeding of domestic rabbits, has become a boon to many communities in most districts across the country. 

On average, a big number of families in Munyaga Sector, Rwamagana District earn an average of Rwf 800,000 a year. This was revealed by a number of local residents who spoke to The New Times.

The farmers said rabbit rearing was an important enterprise in rural communities, noting it employed women and youths who lack the critical production resources; land and capital.

Sarafina Mukashyaka, 41, said rabbit farming caught her attention when there was a growing issue of malnutrition in families, adding that they were sensitized to rear rabbits.

"I did not think about getting a market for them, but later I started taking them to hotels, supermarkets and local markets...it never needed convincing to try rabbit meat.

The demand was unbelievably high, hence giving me confidence that I could make money out of it,” she said.

Her beginning was very humble, she said. "I persuaded my husband to buy me two rabbits, a male and female. In a nick of time, they were 14. I fed them and let them grow. They later increased to 100; you know the multiplication was incredible. The demand went beyond mere proper feeding and small money, to providing for real business,” she said.

Rabbits take an average of six to seven months to mature and at that age, they are able to breed. A female will be able to deliver a litter of babies a month after mating. The young rabbits suckle for one and a half months and are separated from the mothers, a moment when they start being ready for sale.

Mukashyaka said that she has moved her business beyond the sector and district to Kigali city where buyers most of the time find her on the farm.

"I am no longer the typical rural house wife you can imagine...business persons in Kigali city depend on me for rabbit meat they sell in bars and hotels. The number of rabbits I have has increased to 500. I never allow them to exceed this many because it would be difficult to manage them,” she said.

Mukashyaka has also taught and encouraged her village mates, particularly the youth, to rear rabbits in a bid to tackle poverty.

A rabbit costs between Rwf 2000 and Rwf 3000 on local markets while in Kigali city the price goes up to Rwf 4000 depending on the weight.

"A family with 100 rabbits will never cry for food or other needs like students’ uniform and health insurance. I have trained youth so that they get employment for the betterment of the whole community and the country. You can’t develop in isolation which is why I believe in pulling others out of poverty,” Mukashyaka said.

She employs four young boys at the farm including one highly experienced girl in the rabbit farming.

The rabbits are fed on forage and supplemented with grass, banana peels, and cabbage leaves for better growth.

Jean de Dieu Ndahayo, 20, a resident who benefitted from Mukashyaka’s experience said that rabbit rearing rescued him from alcoholism that had characterized him since he left school.

Ndahayo reflects that if it was not for the woman’s advise, he would have ended up in prison.

"I was destitute...I dropped out of school and had no work. I joined bad groups of youth whose work was to drink and smoke marijuana. We sometimes stole people’s property to survive,” he said.

Ndahayo added that he was a public nuisance who deserved to stay behind bars but that his life changed when he started rearing rabbits.

"I have become a man; I support my mother and I have a good life. I get at least Rwf 100,000 per month. My former colleagues in the ‘stupid life’ envy me today,” he said.

According to Innocent Ukizuru, the district Agronomist, rabbits are an important source of food and income in remote places like Munyaga.

"They are easy to manage, require little space, breed prolifically, and are a good source of protein. Communities had failed to raise rabbits before due to diseases, parasites, and other problems they could not diagnose. But we solved such issues which is why they are doing well,” he said.