Rabbit’s urine as organic fertilizer

There are many benefits of keeping rabbits apart from food. In the tropics these animals is kept for food, as pets, for their fur and for their urine which is used for fertilizer and insecticide.

Just at the weekend, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) in Nigeria disclosed harvest of 25, 000 liters of urine from over 5,000 rabbits will serve as organic fertilizer.

According to Vanguard newspaper, the above information was made available by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Prince Paul Ikonne, in Owerri, Imo State, while unveiling ‘Rabbit Waste Organic Fertilizer’ from four pilot States under the programme.

Ikonne also explained that 2,142,000 liters of rabbit urine will be harvested within a year as it is expected to reproduce about 1,360, 000 rabbits in a year from the already distributed 17, 000 rabbits to farmers, as the programme will be extended to other five States.

On the prospect of rabbit farming, the CEO said with a total of five rabbits given to farmers on five per farmers bases under three months, 85,000 rabbits will be distributed, while 10 rabbits kits per rabbits per gestation period, 20 rabbits will be reproduced in each farm within the same period amounting to 340,000 rabbits in three months, then 680,000 in six months and 1,360,000 in a year.

He also explained that under the same period 357,000 rabbits will produce 535,500 liters of urine fertilizer in three months, while in six months period 714, 000 rabbits will produce 1,071, 000 liters of urine fertilizer, and 1,428,000 rabbits will produce 2,142,000 liters of urine fertilizer which will serve as organic fertilizer to support NALDA young farmers’ in their various farms at zero cost.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government is making efforts to engage more youths in the agricultural value chain, which rabbit farming was launched in November 2020 with four pilot States including Imo, Abia, Cross River and Oyo take-off of the programme.

The distributed rabbits would produce organic fertilizer for rice and maize farmers in return. “The rabbit rearing programme kicked off about three months ago after Mr. President flagged off National Young Farmers Scheme, NYFS, in November 2020. The pilot States for the programme are Imo, Abia, Oyo and Cross River.

“As at today (Saturday), NALDA has been able to harvest over 25, 000 liters of urine from over 5,000 rabbits which is to serve as organic fertilizer to support NALDA young farmers’ in their various farms at zero cost. “All the NALDA farmers who do submit their urine to various collection centers are being paid to encourage them on the viability of rabbit farm business,” he said, analyzing that 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.