Rabbit-farming for meat and fur Comment from the Capital

Press, 16 April 1979, Page 12

Rabbit-farming for meat and fur Comment from the Capital

By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

The fanning of speciallybred rabbits for the production of meat and fur might be closer than most people think. The Government caucus approved, at its last meeting, that rabbit-farming should be made legal, along with the possession of domestic rabbits.

The meaning of the term “rabbit farm” was explained by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (Mr MacIntyre): “I do not envisage there being any possibility of having what some people envisage as a rabbit farm — with rabbits running round the paddocks in the open.” Mr Maclntyre explained that the proposal accepted bv caucus was that the pest destruction legislation should be altered to allow domesticated rabbits (as distinct from wild or feral rabbits) to be kept as pets and to be farmed. "“To be economic this means that they have to be farmed in pens, and the young ones fed and processed for eating. Added to this, of course, would be the value of the furs, which today is quite considerable,” Mr MacIntyre said.

“Thus we have the possibility of an export industry from both meat and fur. As I envisage it, it would have to be run efficiently, with quite a capital investment in buildings and hutches. We would have to import some of the bloodstock from overseas. There are no great problems involved, depending on the quarantine processes involved.

“If rabbits were to be processed for human consump-

tion, and particularly for export, they would have to meet all the hygiene regulations for slaughtering which apply to meat and poultry. We are even introducing tighter hygiene regulations for processing fish. The rabbits would be inspected by qualified persons, and have some identification put on them to show this.”

When talking to poultry farmers recently, the Undersecretary for Agriculture (Mr R. L. G. Talbot) said that they would be well-placed to take up rabbit-farming, because of the relationship between battery-farming of poultry and that of rabbits. “Obviously, if they have surplus accommodation and capacity, they would have a head start,” Mr Maclntyre said.

“That is, of course, if they could meet the requirements laid down under the Town and Country Planning Act. First of all, they would have to get local body permission to have a rabbit-farm.”

The situation being sought is similar to that set up near Sydney a quarter-century ago. A prominent wartime fighter pilot went into civil life with the assistance of some rabbits internationally known as the large New Zealand white. These have become world-famous as breeding rabbits, but as a result of New Zealand’s anti-pest legislation have been outlawed from their own country.

The Australian operation was an intensive one, the large white does being harboured in comfortable bat-tery-hutches under cover. It

was reported to me at the time that there was no trouble about the prisoners breaking out — but that the feral buck rabbits from outside had left visible proof of their attempts to break into this furry-tailed nirvana. A bill legalising rabbitfarms was proposed in 1973 by the Labour Government. A select committee of the House rejected it on the evidence that was given and the fear expressed by the Pest Destruction Council that the farming of rabbits could lead to a black-market trade for selling wild rabbits.

Asked if he thought the atmosphere had changed in the last few years, Mr MacIntyre said:

“If you have people who have a big investment in this industry, and if there are regulations to say it is illegal to sell a wild rabbit, they would surely not take the risk of losing their industry by delicensing. I de not see much danger there. “If the penalties were suf ficient, so that if a wild rabbit carcase was found in a hotel, restaurant or pieshop, these people too would face penalties, it would be impracticable to buy the odd black-market rabbits if pro-perly-inspected meat was available.”

Mr Maclntyre does not see black-marketing as a threat. The breeding rabbit would produce two or three clutches a year. The animals would be slaughtered at ab-

out three months, or perhaps four. The carcase would thus be smaller than that of an older animal.

“In Europe I have seen rabbit carcases some two feet six inches long, selling in Paris and London —■ all the product of the People’s Republic of China,” Mr MacIntyre said. I believe that our product, with the certified brand on it, would solve any problem there.”

Mr Maclntyre’s intention is to bring the bill before Parliament, send it to a select committee, “and there everyone can have his argument.”

Would the bill come back to parliament this year? "I certainly hope so,” Mr Maclntyre replied. “It is not massive legislation. It is merely a matter of amending the present Pest Destruction Council Act. The Town and

Country Planning Act would not need to be amended. Local bodies do have the power to say whether this or that industry is acceptable."

The main point left is whether or not rabbit-farm-ing will be a profitable industry. The indications are that there are ample markets for both meat and fur. “It is the individual who has to do his homework and decide whether he will make an investment in this enterprise,” Mr Maclntyre said. “Then it is a matter of getting into it, and making it pay-”