Angora rabbits

In Pakistan, a number of people who had been forced to evacuate have started slowly coming back home.

With the help of JEN’s supporters and the Japanese government JEN is working on a livelihood improvement program, targeting the repatriated inhabitants of FATA (Federally Administrated Tribal Area) Khyber Agency.

This program focuses on breeding livestock.
More the details are available.

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Humans have raised rabbits for centuries. They breed quickly and their meat is good to eat.  It is healthy due to being rich in protein but low in cholesterol. In addition, rabbit fur fetches a good price. Among rabbits, the Angora rabbit is the most beautiful, edible and has the most valuable fur.

JEN found out about Angora rabbits when we visited a livestock research station in Jaba-Hari Pur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for a study tour of livestock farmers who were participants in JEN’s project.

[Angora rabbit]

The Livestock & Dairy Development Board in the Provincial Government began raising Angora rabbits in this livestock research station as a pilot program. At the start, a species native to Nepal was introduced.

[Project participants lectured about Angora rabbit by an government official in charge of the program]

After breeding, Angora rabbits were distributed to local NGOs which operate in Manshera and Abbottabad and used to improve the livelihood of predominately female communities. The market price of a breeding pair of Angora rabbits is 8,000 Pakistani Rupees (Equivalent to 9,000 Japanese yen).

Angora rabbits are raised in special cages in a sunny and quiet environment maintained at 15-20 degrees Celsius with proper airflow, to protect their valuable fur. They are fed three times a day. They are vulnerable to disease, so special attention needs to be paid to hygiene. A female Angora rabbit has 20-40 babies a year.

The participants in JEN’s project are also interested in Angora rabbits so they discussed with  the authorities whether it would be possible to raise Angora rabbits at home. It is worth considering the possibility of incorporating raising Angora rabbits to our support project.

[JEN staff showing an Angora rabbit]


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