TAPAH: Rabbit breeding is becoming popular among breeders in Perak with the industry seeing a three-fold increase in growth from 5,000 rabbits last year to 15,000 this year.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Industry Minister II Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi said this year, 95 rabbit breeders had registered with the Perak Veterinary Services Department compared with 62 last year.
"The Batang Padang district has the highest number of breeders and rabbit farming, which is almost 35 per cent of that in Perak.
"This is because the district is close to the Klang Valley, which is the main place for breeders from Perak to sell rabbit meat."
He said this at the opening ceremony of the Agricultural and Livestock Products Sales Centre here on Saturday. He also visited the FJ Rabbitry farm in Tapah Road here.
Che Abdullah said almost 500 rabbit breeders nationwide had registered with the Veterinary Services Department.
He said he hoped that those who had not done so would register to get benefits to increase their productivity via cooperation with the Rabbit Breeders Association and Cooperative.
He said that this year, the Perak Veterinary Services Department had carried out five rabbit-breeding courses with the participation of 250 people in collaboration with the association and cooperative. -- Bernama