Jeremy Musinguzi had little connection to farming as a businessman. But farming had a way of finding him. A produce buyer, Musinguzi set out on a quest to find more money-making avenues.
About two years ago with co-founder Jessica Nabaasa and funding from The Microfinance Support Centre (MSc), Musinguzi ventured into rabbit meat processing giving rise to Bendito Cuts, a premium rabbit sausages business.
Rabbit sausages are considered a healthy option but it is just one of the products a rabbit can give a farmer. Musinguzi harvests urine which he sells as organic foliar fertiliser under the brand High Yield. Everything the rabbit produces is money. After selling the meat,ferment urine as fertiliser. The waste is a rich fertiliser too. The skin is in high demand with craft shoe makers. Basically, I throw away nothing.
He points out that greater efficiency and profitability are the driving force behind his newfound passion in commercial rabbit farming.
“Agriculture is central to many aspects of our society in terms of food security, health and poverty alleviation. As Bendito, we are trying to help become more efficient and more profitable by adding value to rabbit meat,” he adds.
Bendito Mixed Farm is located on a 20-acre piece of leased land in Ziroobwe Sub-county in Luweero District where it has three big rabbit houses.
Bendito Farm is incubated at the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) for processing facilities of rabbit meat and fertiliser. Launched in 2017, the company has raised a stock of more than 1,000 rabbits and by September 2018 they had reported a net profit of Shs138m.
Incorporated as a family business in 2016 with his wife Jessica Nabaasa in Kireka, the farm invested about Shs7.5m and 10 rabbits. The farm began by gaining profits from rabbit urine and waste which they still harvest until today.
Later in 2017, the Microfinance Support Centre (MSC) offered a hand of Shs300m to establish what is now a model farm at Kabulanaka Village. The MSC, a government-funded financial services company, offers micro credit programmes under the Rural Financial Services Strategy.
MSC supports entities engaged in the value chain namely; agricultural production value chain and marketing enterprises. Besides credit, MSC provides capacity building for sustainably.
Sustainability
In commercial rabbit production, the difference between profitable and unprofitable is the ability of fryer rabbits (bunnies ear marked for selling for meat) to weigh about two kilogrammes within eight weeks. This is because every day past that period costs more money in additional feed and cage space.
This is achieved through good practices that include; feeds high in protein and fibre, excellent stock, getting rabbits early on pellets, faster weaning especially after 28 days and enough cage space. Yet commercial farming requires enough stock to be able to meet market demand.
Rabbit farms such as Bendito, Rab Farm, Agrosol, Vert Fields, and Learn Enterprises cannot consistently produce enough meat to satisfy the local market.
Yet the export market is there for the taking. Germany, Belgium, and Italy are the largest rabbit meat importers with an estimated revenue of $1.3b (Shs4.9 trillion).
“When more people get to appreciate the health benefits of consuming rabbit meat, we shall have more people involved,” Musinguzi explains.
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), domestic rabbit meat is the most nutritious meat known to man. Their research findings concluded that rabbit meat has been recommended for heart disease patients, the elderly, low sodium diets, and weight reduction diets.
Bendito’s farm at Kabulanaka Village is supplemented by a contract farming scheme for youth and women groups which are funded with the help of MSC.
Tukolerewamu Women’s Group, Dundu in Kyampisi Sub-county, Mukono District is among the five youth and women groups beefing up Benditos’ supply.
The mother body, Dundu Parish Multipurpose Society has 60 members who are involved in different activities including: grocery trading, art and craft, produce growing as well as savings and loans.
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