A corps member, AbdulJelil Egbewole has won a grant of one million naira in the entrepreneurial competition organised at the NYSC camp in Keffi, Nassarawa State.
Egbewole in his 7-page proposal document submitted to the competition’s committee, indicated that he would run the business using the name – Arnab farms.
The farms according to him would breed Rabbits for the purpose of selling rabbit meats and rabbits to restaurants, hotels, local and organic farmers.
“The farm rears Rabbit and resell them when they attain maturity. The rabbits can also be sold as wean before they reach maturity. Unlike ever before, rabbits are demanded in large quantity all across Nigeria, the emergence of the Business is growing at a sporadic ratio,” Egbewole noted in his proposal document.
The corps member with state Code, NS/21A/2677 put his estimation to start the business at N1,002,000.
“Basically, most of the rabbits from Arnab Farms are raised to produce hybrid parent stocks, which 80% customers buy to raise and reproduce on their own farm, and the cycle continues endlessly.
“There are various kinds of rabbit market, we have those that buy for pet, others buy for meat purpose, organic farmers also buy the rabbit urine and feaces for their plants, rabbit fur and pelt are another source of income, but the major market in Nigeria is from co farmers who wants to start the venture and reproduce rabbits to raise for their best known reasons, which includes the purposes mentioned above.”
On how he intend to go about the initiative, Egbewole submitted that Arnab farms will commence with a moderate portion of land as Rabbit breeding doesn’t require a lot of space to breed them.
“Securing a cage which is about 12 square meter will house the mother rabbit (doe) and its kits. Arnab farms presently has a cage that can house 16 rabbits and since rabbits reproduce at a fast rate, they tend to multiply.
“With this pleasant initiative, the rate at which Arnab Farms will grow by extending its withhold and having more cages cannot be overemphasized,” he said.
Highlight of the competition was the presentation of cheques to Egbewole and other corps members.