Ester Noongo

Tomas Nikanor, a 29-year-old passionate rabbit farmer, shares that the secret to becoming a successful rabbit farmer lies in knowing all the traits and habits of rabbits, and not necessarily in putting up fancy infrastructure for production. 

He primarily specialises in trading rabbit meat, and says rabbits are as lucrative and productive as any other animal in the country’s mainstream meat markets. 

 “I am a full-time rabbit farmer However, I’m currently only left with a few rabbits because I had to sell most of them, which brought in a profit of N$8 000,” said Nikanor, who added that he used the profit to build an additional new structure to his hutch. 

The well-spoken plumber, who graduated from the Eenhana Vocational Training Centre in 2019, hails from Okantonge village in Onayena in the Oshikoto region, and started farming with rabbits in 2022. 

He got his operations underway with five breeds, drawing inspiration from Ugandan rabbit farmer Denise Duke, whom he follows on YouTube.

“The large New Zealand white breed, which can reach a weight of between 4kg and 5kg, is dominating in my rabbit hutch because they grow faster, and many of my customers prefer them.”

According to Nikanor, rabbits reproduce and grow rapidly, hence he is busy expanding his rabbit hutch. 

“I am just trying without any assistance from anyone, but for the love of rabbit farming I want to supply enough rabbit meat to my fellow Namibians who like it. If you feed your rabbits correctly, you can make a profit within four to six months. My clients include individuals, butchery owners and followers that I have gained from marketing my business on social media platforms,” he said.

He highlighted that rabbit meat contains a high percentage of easily digestible protein, and has a low fat content.  It is also almost cholesterol-free, and the sodium content is lower than that of chicken, beef, lamb or pork.  Rabbit farming is however not a walk in the park. “One of the earliest challenges I faced when I started was attracting customers outside my village. I try to think outside the box and familiarise myself with social media to promote my business online. My villagers have displayed positive energy and trust in my rabbit farming skills.” Those wishing to venture into rabbit farming, he said, should not hesitate to reach out to him and seek guidance. 

* Ester Noongo works for the MICT in the Oshikoto region.