The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) says it has harvested twenty five thousand liters of urine from over five thousand rabbits that would be used as organic fertilizer for it farms around the country.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NALDA Prince Paul Ikonne revealed this in Owerri, the Imo State capital, South East Nigeria, during the unveiling of Rabbit Waste Organic Fertilizer.
Prince Ikonne explained that according to the result analysis from the laboratory, the rabbit urine contains Nitrogen: 13.3 g/l; Chloride (Cl-): 5.87 g/l; Sodium (Na+): 3.17 g/l;
Potassium (k+): 1.750 g/l; Inorganic sulfur (S): 0.163 g/l; Phosphate (P): 0.95 g/l; pH: 5:6 all of which are good for the soil.
According to Ikonne, the Authority is expected to harvest 2,142,000 litter of urine within one year.
He said aside generating money from selling the rabbits; the farmers would also generate money from the rabbit waste.
“All the NALDA farmers who submit their urine to various collection centers are being paid to encourage them on the business viability of Rabbit Urine as Organic fertilizer”
Ikonne described agro-business as a lucrative venture that requires patience noting that the organic fertilizer would be distributed to farmers alongside spraying machines to increase their yield.
The Executive Secretary said the federal government in its efforts to engage more youths in the agricultural value chain launched rabbit farming in November of 2020 with Imo, Abia, Cross River and Oyo as pilot states for the programme adding that rabbits were subsequently distributed to those who indicated interest in the project.
He said the program was designed to engage 17,000 young Nigerians into rabbit rearing, but that as a result of learning points from the first pilot phase, NALDA has generated a deep insight around the dynamics of rabbit farming.
“It is on this backdrop, that the program will be extended to other states and also increase the number of participants in the existing states.”
While analysing the prospect, Ikonne said with five rabbits given to farmers on five per farmers bases, in three months, 85,000 will be distributed, while 10 rabbits kits where given per gestation period and 20 rabbits is expected to be recovered from each farmer within the same period amounting to 340,000 rabbits in three months, 680,000 in six months and 136, 0000 in a year.
The Imo State Executive Coordinator NALDA Mr. Amanze Ofor stated that about one hundred and eight youths are currently participating in the programme in the state noting that the beneficiaries get paid immediately they turn in urine harvested from the rabbits.
Some of the beneficiaries who expressed joy over earning their first income in the business through what would have been described as waste however lamented challenges in accessing food and drugs for the rabbits.
