After entering the agriculture industry as agro-dealer, little did Tshidi Mokoma know that she would become a great potential farmer she is today. She started by compost making from poultry manure in 2015 and selling compost to farmers at Ga-Mashashane village. However, she is currently farming at Silicon in Palmietfontein near the new Peter Mokaba stadium.
She decided to make her compost from rabbit manure after research showed it had high Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Additionally, you can apply it directly to the plant without burning the plant.
“I researched further and found rabbit meat is highly nutritious than chicken, lamb and beef. So, in 2015 we bought our first rabbit breeding stock numbering 200 comprising 180 females [does] and 20 males [bucks]. In 2016 we reduced our stock significantly because of the lack of feed suppliers and remained with 70 after selling the rest,” indicates Mokoma
It is through networking with various industries that she received training in organic farming. The South African Breweries Foundation funded her a two year training, and it all occurred whilst the business was operational.
Mokoma has the market. “Lack of feed suppliers is the thing of the past since we have two main suppliers in Polokwane. I want to see the enterprise grow and I becoming a successful commercial rabbit farmer nationally. I want to broaden my footprint across the SADC [Southern African Development Community] region. I dream of having an export ready processing facility,” she articulates oozing confidence.
Mokoma has mentioned the following as some of the bottlenecks in the Rabbit industry:
- Markets - not enough exposure of rabbit meat within the retail and wholesale space as an alternative protein source
- Health Benefits - not enough awareness to the consumers about all the benefits they can get by consuming rabbits as opposed to other poultry government and the private health sector can assist with this by promoting it - it can be introduced in hospital diet meals
- No current legislation that governs the production and processing of rabbits ' all legislative requirements are that of chickens and nothing specific to rabbits, we have to finance our own VPN's to get approved by government
“Rabbit meat just recently has been added as a tradable commodity by government and therefore so much government intervention is required to assisting rabbit farmers and abattoirs doing rabbits especially financially to make the industry a success and sustainable,” she suggests.
Talking about land was cut short since it was emotional, and she is only leasing a hectare. Besides rabbit farming, which is currently keeping 400 rabbits, Mokoma applies organic crop farming. The employer of six workers Mokoma appreciates the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for assist her with the rabbitry [rabbit house].
