Assessment Of the Factors that Limit Rabbit Production Under an Intensive Production System in Zanzibar

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the factors that limit rabbit production under an intensive production system in Zanzibar. A total of 390 farmers from three districts each has 130 respondents were interviewed in a cross-sectional survey. The results revealed that 48.2% of farmers had kept rabbits and 51.8% did not, while 53.2% of the farmers kept medium breeds and 46.8% of them kept small breeds of rabbits. In terms of management systems was significant (ρ≤ 0.038) in the feeding system was 60.2% of farmers used an intensive system and 39.8% employed semi-intensive systems, whereas a higher number of farmers 88.6% of main diets fed the rabbits with green grass than 11.4% utilized kitchen wastes. In the observed marketing of rabbits and their products, the proportion of respondents who had sold rabbit parts was significantly higher (ρ≤ 0.007), that is 73.0% had sold rabbits than 27.0% who did not sell any rabbit parts. However, it was not statistically significant concerning the types of rabbit products sold and marketing challenges at ρ≤ 0.836 and ρ≤ 0.475 respectively. The disease infection was reported by 58.9% of farmers their rabbits were affected by the disease and 41.1% of them did not. However, no statistical significance was associated with the causes of disease infection at ρ≤ 0.299. Likewise, rabbit production in Zanzibar is at an immaturity stage and is constrained with many drawbacks. Therefore, proper animal husbandry practices and extension service delivery are recommended.