Results of  research and the development of rabbit production in Vietnam
 

Dinh Van Binh, Nguyen Thi Mui , Nguyen Ky Son and Hoang Minh Thanh

Goat and Rabbit Research Centre - NIAH-MARD Vietnam

Summary 

Rabbit production have been raised in small household extensive systems in Vietnam for many years. Rabbit production is popular in rural areas and is considered to be a self-sufficient system with low productivity. In the recent years, (specialist after bird flu happened in Vietnam) Rabbit production has been paid more attention by farmers and Government agencies as a means to improve the income of the rural poor. So some achievements have been obtained in the field of breeding, nutrition, processing, preventing diseases... The population of rabbits has increased at over the last 15 years from 800,000 heads in 1992 to 15,600,000 heads in 2007, an average annual rate of increase of about 22%. During this time, the price of rabbit products has increased to from 13,000 to 45,000 VND/kg of  live weight rabbit meat . Local indigenous breeds of Re Rabbit and Black rabbit and Grey Rabbit have been found to perform well under improved management conditions. Some new rabbit breeds have been imported from Hungarian (Newzealand white Rabbit, California Rabbit; Panon Rabbit) and from France (Hyblus  Rabbit)  with a view to crossing with local rabbit to improve meat production in local rabbits. A series of studies using local feed resources and strategic disease control measures were carried out in the context of developing Sustainable and Integrated Small ruminant farming systems, these studies showing that up to 35% improvement in productivity can be achieved by such techniques. Some programs and projects have been carried out with the joint support of the Vietnamese Government and International organizations, and have resulted in highly successful outcomes.. In 2007 a new Rabbit breed station have been setup with 3000 rabbit does to producing 120,000 rabbit breeds provide for farmers raising  per year  It is clear that  Rabbit production  can  play an important role in improving the incomes for poor farmers in the rural areas and is contributing to poverty and hunger alleviation in Vietnam. The  review discusses presents and discusses some of the research finding to come from GRRC research over the past 15 years, and proposes the current research activities should now be extended into all areas of Vietnam as means of increasing farmer income and alleviating hunger and poverty in those areas of Vietnam.

Keywords: Rabbit production, rabbit breeds in Vietnam, population change, prices, nutrition, feed resources, strategies for development

Introduction

Vietnam is tropical country located in Southeast Asia with a monsoon climate. The total area of country is 33.2 million hector, with a population of 85 million, 52 million farmers occupant 67% of total labor are working in the agricultural the cultivated area is small, about 11 million ha. The agriculture is based mainly on rice production of 37 million tons per year in 77% of the cultivated area supported by other crops such as maize, potato, cassava, groundnut, soybean, sugarcane, fruit trees and other perennial commercial trees as coffee, tea, rubber and coconut. The agriculture output value contributes 25 of GDP of which food production from 77% and livestock production from 21% dealing mainly with pigs, cattle, chicken, ducks, goat and rabbit. From 1990 to now rice production in Vietnam is not only enough for consuming but also for exported 4.5- 4.7 million tons per year become second largest country rice exported in the world

Rabbit production has been raised in small household extensive systems in Vietnam for many years. Rabbit production is popular in rural areas and is considered to be a self-sufficient system with low productivity. In the recent years (especially after bird flu happened in Vietnam) rabbit production has been paid more attention by farmers and Government agencies as a means to improve the income of the rural poor. So some achievements have been obtained in the field of breeding, nutrition, processing, preventing diseases. Under the support of Government and International organizations some programs and projects were carried out with satisfied impact. It is clear that rabbit production is playing an important role in improvement of the incomes for poor farmers in the rural areas and is contributing to poverty and hunger alleviation in Vietnam. So, this review we discuss about the situation of research and development and also strategy of development of rabbit production in Vietnam

Situation of rabbit production in Vietnam from 2000 to 2007

According to the data of Vietnam Agriculture Department-MARD 2000, 2002 to,2007). In 2000 there are about 3,000,000 rabbits (of which 45.82 % rabbit population could be found in the Northern; 15.24% in the Center and 38.94% in the Southern). Since 2002-2007 population of rabbit were quick increased and reached to 15,600,000 rabbits in 2007.  Most of rabbit were distributed to rural areas (Showed in table 3).

Recent prices of rabbit products are being raised to be higher than the other animal’s. 1kg live weight of rabbit for meat is 45.000 VND and for breed is 80.000 VND (comparing with the cost of 1 kg live weigh of beef or pig just is 23.000 VND or 22.000 VND). The high price of the products gives a higher income for the raisers and promotes rabbit production in Vietnam.

Results of study on rabbit production

Breeding

Local breeds

Re rabbit: This breed is very small in size live weight at adult 2.3 -2.7 kg and is usually brown, grey and white in color with their eye are black. Re rabbit is a meat type, which is widely distributed around the country with 60-65% total rabbit population.

Grey rabbit: This rabbit breed was selected for 10 years at Goat and Rabbit Research Centre (GRRC) there live weight at adult 3.0- 3.5kg and usually grey in color with their eye are black.

Black rabbit: This rabbit breed was selected for 10 years at GRRC; there live weight at adult 3.0- 3.5kg and usually black in color with their eye are black.

Imported Rabbit breeds

Imported from Hungary: in 1980 there were 1000 rabbits of New Zealand White and California breed. In 2000 there were 250 rabbits (New Zealand, California, Panon rabbit breeds) were imported from Hungary to Vietnam. In 2006 there were 45  Hyplus rabbit breed imported from France to Vietnam. Up to now they have adapted to Vietnamese ecological condition. Their productivities are shown in Table 6:

Cross breeds

Those imported rabbit breeds were developed widespread in whole Vietnam and used those buck to cross with local rabbit breeds. The results on research shown that  live  weight of crossed breeds at 3 month are higher than local breed 18.5-22%  result were applied widely  to the whole country. (Dinh Van Binh et al.2005)

Housing system

 Studying on raised  underground shelter or raised cages for rabbits with basal diet of fresh leaves of Trichantera  Gigantea; Sugar cane stalk and rice bran.  

The main effect of the housing system was on the ambient temperature. In the underground shelter compared with the raised cage, it was warmer in the morning, colder at the midday and warmer in the evening. The temperature in the shelter varied 2.8^oC during the day white the temperature in the cages varied 8^oC. The differences were significant. The effect to the performance of rabbits is in the table 8:  

The temperature in the underground shelter was more uniform than in the cage which should be better for rabbit reproduction .

 Feeds and Feeding

A lot of experiments on planning, processing, storing and using forages multipurpose trees and by-products for rabbits were carried out. The results as following:

 Biomass productivity of some forages and multipurpose trees as feed resources for rabbits

From those results some kinds of forage and multi-purpose tree, with high biomass and high crude protein were selected. They were applied widely at farmers; it is good feed resource for rabbit especially in dry season.

Study on determine of rate forages per concentrate for reproduction rabbit

Forages per concentrate in ration: 60/40 is suitable for reproduction rabbit.

Feeding system for local rabbit production emphasizing root and bananas

A mash composed of equal parts of banana fruit, cassava root and sweet potato tubers(17% of each) with 33% rice bran and 15% molasses with the same protein-rich foliages  as for growing rabbits supported the same reproductive performance (size and growth rate of the litters) as the conventional concentrate/grass diet with saving cost of feed.

Using water spinach as replacement for guinea grass for growing and lactating rabbit

  Table 13: Effect of replacing guinea grass with water spinach on feed intake of growing rabbits

Water spinach foliage is potential supplement for rabbit and can replace guinea grass of 60-100% in the diet with higher live weight gain and lower feed cost comparing guinea grass alone.

Effect of method offering Water Spanish and Sweet potato vine to growing rabbit on feed intake and their live weigh gain

WS:  Water spinach hanging

WSGG: Water spinach and guinea grass

SP:      Sweet potato vines hanging

SPGG: Sweet potato vines hanging and guinea grass

WSSP: Water spinach hanging + Sweet potato vines hanging

WSSPGG: Water spinach hanging + Sweet potato vines hanging and guinea grass

Figure 1: Effect of water spinach and sweet potato to feed intake of growing rabbits

Figure 2: Effect of water spinach and sweet potato vines on live weight gain of growing rabbits

Using manure from rabbit, goat, buffaloes and cows as substrate for earthworm production and earthworm as supplement for scavenging chicken

Rate earthworm production were higher on manure from goats and rabbits than buffloes and cows. Rate of production was slow in the first two month but increased dramatically in month 3 with no further increase in month 4. The optimum growth cycle appeared to be 4 month from inoculation of the manure (0.5kg earthworm to 100kg manure) to the point harvest assuming fresh manure is applied each day

The growth rate of the group of chickens supplement with 40 g/day of earthworm appeared to be higher than the control or the group fed 20g/day and 60 g/day of earthworm

Heath management and incidence of diseases

The major diseases reported among rabbit in Vietnam are scabies; Coccideos; Heteroragies; Diarrhea, Pneumonia.The important and dangerous infectious diseases with high mortality were Heterogic diseases (from 1997 to now) that were controlled by vaccination,(It was made in Vietnam from 1998). The other infectious diseases which were treated effectively with medicines. As rabbit scabies diseases using Ivermectin 0.7ml/3kg live weight or Dextomax 0.1 ml/3kg live weight. Coccidiosis was controled by anticoccideos medicine after appropriate treatment 90-95% of all infected animals were cured. ( Nguyen Van Thanh; Dinh Van Binh and et al., 1997-2006)

Processing and marketing of products

Products from rabbit production are not usually eaten by Vietnamese people, mainly because they are not commonly available in the markets.. However, in recent years, as Vietnam’s economy has been liberalised, living standards of people are improving, and this is a favourable environment in which to promote rabbit products. The market for selling products from rabbits has become easier. In addition, since 2004 when the bird flu appeared in Vietnam there a strong demand for rabbit meat in many different areas of Vietnam. Some small processing units for rabbit meat were set up. Markets for these products are being readily found in the cities providing farmers with greater income and new opportunities to further develop their rabbit production systems. The rate of increase in rabbit production in Vietnam is not sufficient to meet this demand. As a consequence, the price of rabbit meat in increasing rapidly, and the limit to meeting this demand is the lack of suitable rabbits available for breeding. This need could be partly met by expanding the current centre for rabbit production in North Vietnam to new areas in central and south Vietnam. This expansion is currently one of the new initiatives actively being pursued by GRRC for the future. 

Planning for development of rabbit production in Vietnam from 2006-2010

1-      The plan for development rabbit production in Vietnam

2- Set up a rabbit station at Ninh Binh province (in the Central Area) with 3000 does to develop appropriate regional strategies and provide 120,000 rabbits per year for the breeding arms in the Central and  Southern  regions of Vietnam to  produce 1.5 to 2 millions rabbits for local meat consumption and  material for Japan Nippon Zoki LTD Company product medicine .

3- Set up small rabbit processing units in all area of Vietnam 

4- Training and dissemination of information on new technologies for improving rabbit productivity and model farm demonstrations of sustainable and integrated rabbit farming systems.

5- Develop further collaborations with International and regional agencies and organisations in Southeast Asia as a means to increase the rate of application of relevant technologies to goats in Vietnamese farming systems.

Conclusions  and  recommendations

In the past 15 years, research and development of rabbit production in Vietnam has resulted in some very good achievements. rabbit production is playing an increasingly  important role in the improvement of the income of poor farmers and is contributing significantly  to poverty and hunger alleviation in Vietnam.

Specific studies of the selecting of local rabbits breeds and imported and introduced new breeds, of nutrition and feed resource availability and quality, animal health and  product processing has lead to training programs in improved rabbit production for livestock advisers and farmers and to village demonstrations of how rabbits can be integrated into sustainable livestock farming systems for Vietnam. Vietnam has a recognised potential to develop and further expand rabbit production systems. This potential is being progressively realised through collaborative research programs run by staff of GRRC, livestock advisors and Vietnamese farmers and generously supported by the Vietnamese Government, non-government organisations and international aid agencies. The continued support of all these groups is essential for stimulating further development of rabbit production in all areas of Vietnam.

References

Dinh Van Binh and Nguyen Thi Mui. Impact study of livestock-based intervention in villages in Bavi district in North Vietnam (feed resources in sustainable-base on Agriculture in SE-Asia) (5 1997) 112-115

Ly Thi Luyen, Nguyen Quang Suc and Dinh Van Binh 2000: Feeding system for tropicalrabbit production emphasizing root and bananas(2000)111-115

Nguyen Quang Suc, Le Thi hu Ha and Dinh Van Binh 2000: Manure from rabbits, goats, cattles and buffaloes as sub-strate for earthworms(2000) 95-98

Nguyen Thi Mui, Dinh Van Binh, Ngo Tien Dung 2001: Farmers’ reception on use of forages in Bavi District. Proceeding of workshop of Animal Production Science, Ministry of Agriculture and rural development, Vietnam(2001)-19-28

Nguyen Thi Mui, Nguyen Phuc Tien, Ngo Tien Dzung, Dinh Van Binh and T. R. Preston 2000: Improving biomass productivity of plants and soil fertility on sloping land in Bavi mountainous area(2001 )116-125

Dinh Van Binh and Nguyen Kim Lin 2005: Results of research and development rabbit production in Vietname . Proceeding of workshop of Animal Production Science, Ministry of Agriculture and rural development, Vietnam (2005) 135-138.

Dinh Van Binh, Ly Thi Luyen and Khuc Thi Hue 2004: Results on adaptation research of Newzealand white, California, Panol rabbits breeds affter 4 years raised under Vietnam condition. Institute of agricultural sciences. Proceeding of workshop of Animal Production Science, Ministry of Agriculture and rural development, Vietnam (2004) 235-256

Tran Hoang Chat, Ngo Tien Dzung, Dinh Van Binh and T. R. Preston 2004: Response of watr spnach to fertilization with increasing levels of worm cast and urea. Using water spinach as replacement for guinea grass for growing and lactating rabbits (2004)-112-121.

Vietnam National Statistic 2000: (National Statistic Department 2000) 35-46

Vietnam National Statistic 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (National Statistic Department 2004,2005,2006,2007)

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