Farmers being duped - Rabbit institutes are luring them by promising high returns

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

Below article appeared in Pune DNA edition on Rabbit Meat Trade. PAWS

trainee staff Kedar Marathe informed this trade to PAWS office with

advertisements he saw. PAWS written letters to 40 animal welfare &

animals rights NGO's for informing this trade & requesting them to take

necessary steps to halt the trade.

 

Regards,

Nilesh Bhanage

Founder - PAWS

 

 

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/showstory.aspx?queryed=40 & querypage=5 & boxid=3

1438308 & parentid=94710 & eddate=Jun22200912:00AM

 

Farmers being duped

Rabbit institutes are luring them by promising high returns

Monday, June 22, 2009

Neha Madaan

 

Last weeks incident, where 24 rabbits were found dead in the Pachgaon

Parvati forest area, has brought to light the flourishing illegal

breeding activities and the false assurances given by promoters to

gullible farmers.

Along with those dead, 22 rabbits were found alive moving about in the

area last week.

According to people, who are in the know of things, rabbit farming has

ended up becoming a trade only for " those who promote rabbit farming

among gullible farmers by showing the carrot. "

" These people claim that the breeding process is easy, and hence gives

huge profits. The promoters end up making huge profits, but it is the

breeders, who lose due to lack of demand for rabbit meat in India as

well as high maintenance of rabbits, " they said.

Peta India's senior campaign co-ordinator Dharmesh Solanki told DNA that

Taljai incident was a typical case of non-practicality of rabbit

breeding. " More often, ordinary farmers cannot afford the high

maintenance, which makes rabbits sick and are abandoned, more so when

the demand for rabbit meat across India is negligible, " Solanki said,

adding there have also been instances where promoters have claimed that

rabbit-meat consumption enhances ones beauty, which in fact, is a

trading gimmick and has no scientific basis.

Stating that wrong breeding techniques can create severe health hazards,

even for human beings, Solanki said the authorities should take

cognizance of the matter. Amruta Ubale, the education officer of Beauty

Without Cruelty (BWC), said, " Rabbit breeding institutes try to entice

people into this cruel business by exaggerating its benefits and

profitability, and by claiming that it will cater to the demands in the

European market. "

" Not only are these institutes abusing the rights of these beautiful,

innocent creatures but also fly-by-night conmen are taking advantage of

villagers simplicity, " Ubale said. Ubale had in the past undertaken an

undercover investigation at one of the institutes promoting rabbit

farming in Pune. " Rabbit breeding has been glamorized and portrayed as a

profit-making business. Promoters portray that rabbits need less

maintenance and little vet care, which is not true. The institute that

we visited, as part of the investigation, had kept the animals on the

terrace without adequate roofing in hot weather conditions. They were

living in the most unhygienic state, while a rabbit with a fractured leg

was kept on Glucon D, which, it was claimed, would have taken care of

the fractured leg, " Ubale said.

" Most villagers claimed that the promoters had promised them that they

would buy the rabbits but had disappeared. Though breeding and selling

rabbit meat is legal, doing so without a licence is certainly against

the law, " she said. Plants and Animals Welfare Society (Paws) Founder

Nilesh Bhanage said that he had sent a letter to NGOs across India and

the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), asking them to stop rabbit

breeding after having spotted the van of a Pune-based rabbit breeding

institute that was promoting rabbit breeding. " Such promoters say that a

2x2 cage is enough to raise a rabbit, which is far from truth, " he said.

 

Manoj Oswal, animal welfare officer nominated by the central government,

said, " Farmers never end up making money because rabbit meat has a low

demand and needs high maintenance that ordinary farmers cannot provide. "