Rabbit Farming in India: Production Status, Sustainability and Growth Opportunities

Abstract

Rabbit farming has gained importance as a micro-livestock enterprise, with considerable potential to improve nutritional security, generate income, and sustain rural livelihoods. Rabbits possessed several biological advantages, such as early sexual maturity, high reproductive rate, short gestation period, and efficient feed conversion, which made them suitable for small-scale and backyard farming systems. In India, rabbit production remained at a nascent stage compared to other livestock sectors, although several research and development initiatives had been undertaken to promote the enterprise. Rabbit meat was recognised for its high nutritional value, containing high-quality protein, low fat and cholesterol and a favourable fatty acid composition. Despite these advantages, the rabbit sector in India faced several challenges, including limited consumer awareness of the nutritional benefits of rabbit meat, inadequate marketing infrastructure, lack of organised value chains, shortage of quality breeding stock and limited extension support. However, increasing demand for alternative protein sources, growing interest among educated youth and the potential for utilisation of rabbit by-products such as wool, fur and manure created opportunities for expansion of the sector. The review also highlighted the need to strengthen institutional support, capacity building and policy interventions to promote scientific rabbit farming in India. In this context, the present review examined the production status of rabbit farming in India, its role in sustainable livestock production and the emerging opportunities for growth and development of the rabbit industry.