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National Rabbit Breeding Program





  • Purpose

    The program aims at rabbit production and continually availing various breeds to the farmers and conserving the indigenous ones as well. The rabbit breeds available are local, crosses of local breeds and some exotic hybrids. The hybrids available in Uganda are numerous and include among the many; New Zealand White, California white, Chinchilla, Flemish giants, local Ugandan Kabale breed and the Kenyan white.

    Rabbit farming started in Uganda as early as the 1900’s introduced by the British colonial masters and rabbits were mostly reared as pets. Commercial rabbit farming started as early as the 2000’s but people had a bad mentality about them as they were seen as pets and others saw them as mere rodents and compared them to rats. This perception is diminishing; however, sensitization and marketing needs to continue.

    NAGRC&DB has been profiling and training of farmers on rabbit farming together with the Uganda Cuniculture Association (UCA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF). Weighing scales have been provided to regional coordinators to help rabbit farmers with weight monitoring and laboratory diagnostic equipment has also been procured to assist in rabbit disease testing.

  • Key Stakeholders

    • Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF)
    • Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI)
    • The Uganda Cuniculture Association (UCA) was fostered through meetings in April 2021 and an executive committee was appointed. NAGRC&DB assisted in the drafting of a constitution of the association that finally led to the registration of this national entity under Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB.)
    • UCA is an association for only rabbit farmers and others involved in the rabbit value chain production. Membership and subscription fees are only at Shs. 50,000.

  • Key Strategic interventions

    • In order to increase market access of rabbits and their products, Agro-processing with packaging and branding are crucial to penetrate supermarkets, export products with a long shelf life. NAGRC&DB promoted the UCA members to have an incubation period at the UIRI
    • Trainings in Agro-processing have included; international standards and regulations on slaughter and preparation of the rabbit meat for processing into different products.