RABBIT meat producers are reeling from the plunge in domestic demand for the animal protein due to Covid-19-related mobility restrictions like community lockdowns worsened by the exodus of offshore gaming operators.
Association of Rabbit Meat Producers Inc. (ARaMP) President Art Veneracion said their industry was not spared from the economic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, which include the loss of market demand.
Veneracion pointed out that the pandemic stalled the economic boom that the rabbit meat industry was experiencing in recent years.
“I think all businesses have been affected by the pandemic. There is no exemption. As for us, rabbit meat demand plunged after restaurants and dine-ins were restricted,” he told the BusinessMirror in a recent interview.
“Rabbit meat producers need to innovate to be able to cope,” he added.
Veneracion explained that the rabbit meat industry benefited from the influx of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) since employees of these companies are rabbit meat lovers.
“We benefited from the boom of POGOs, especially with the rise of restaurants directly catering to POGOs. You can see traders and buyers travelling back and forth to Bulacan for rabbit meat,” he said.
Prior to the pandemic, Veneracion said 70 percent of their demand come from restaurants, 50 percent of which cater to POGOs, while the remaining 30 percent are community buyers and individuals.
And even during the first months of the country’s nationwide lockdown, Veneracion said the industry enjoyed a sudden increase in investments since people were looking for new possible business ventures. How-ever, it was short-lived.
“The demand today has been changed and in fact it was reversed. Bulk of the demand now is from individuals instead of restaurants. However, the volume, in general, is not the same as before the pandemic,” he said.
“Before we could easily sell 100 heads of frozen rabbits but right now we can only sell half,” he added.
Veneracion shared interest for rabbit meat farming boomed in the past two years due to lucrative profits. At the same, Veneracion added that Filipino consumers’ have developed acceptance and awareness of rabbit meat as a protein source.
Today, there are various rabbit meat products available in the market—frozen rabbit meat, rabbit tapa, rabbit tocino, rabbitchon (rabbit lechon) and smoked rabbit, Veneracion said.
The BusinessMirror earlier reported that the government has issued new import rules to facilitate the entry of “superior” rabbit breeds to boost domestic rabbit meat production, an animal protein alternative eyed by the government due to minimal costs and easier propagation. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/08/26/da-releases-import-rules-on-superior-rabbit-breeds-for-meat-production/)