To boost rice, maize production
By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA, weekend, disclosed harvest of 25, 000 liters of urine from over 5000 rabbits will serve as organic fertilizer.
The disclosure was made by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Prince Paul Ikonne, in Owerri, Imo State, while unveiling ‘Rabbit Waste Organic Fertilizer’ from four pilot States under the programme.
Ikonne also explained that 2,142,000 liters of rabbit urine will be harvested within a year as it is expected to reproduce about 1,360, 000 rabbits in a year from the already distributed 17, 000 rabbits to farmers, as the programme will be extended to other five States.
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Speaking on the prospects of rabbit farming as a lucrative business venture he said with a total of five rabbits given to farmers on five per farmers bases under three months, 85,000 rabbits will be distributed, while 10 rabbits kits per rabbits per gestation period, 20 rabbits will be reproduced in each farm within the same period amounting to 340,000 rabbits in three months, then 680,000 in six months and 1360,000 in a year.
On the quantity of rabbits’ urine to be produced under the same period, he (Ikonne) explained that 357,000 rabbits will produce 535,500 liters of urine fertilizer in three months, while in six months period 714, 000 rabbits will produce 1,071, 000 liters of urine fertilizer, and 1,428,000 rabbits will produced 2142000 liters of urine fertilizer which will serve as organic fertilizer to support NALDA young farmers’ in their various farms at zero cost.
He also maintained that the Federal Government has resolved and it is making efforts to engage more youths in the agricultural value chain, which rabbit farming was launched in November 2020 with four pilot States including Imo, Abia, Cross River and Oyo take-off of the programme.
He also added that rabbits subsequently distributed to beneficiaries of project to among other things harvested urine from the rabbits, which the urine serves as rich sources of organic fertilizer for rice and maize farming.
He promised that the organic fertilizer would be distributed to farmers alongside spraying machines to increase their yield.
He said: “The rabbit rearing programme kicked off about three months ago after Mr President flagged off National Young Farmers Scheme, NYFS, in November 2020. The pilot States for the programme are Imo, Abia, Oyo and Cross River.
“As at today (Saturday), NALDA has been able to harvest over 25, 000 liters of urine from over 5,000 rabbits which is to serve as organic fertilizer to support NALDA young farmers’ in their various farms at zero cost.
“All the NALDA farmers who do submit their urine to various collection centers are being paid to encourage them on the viability of rabbit farm business.”
According to the NALDA boss the result analysis from the laboratory, the rabbit urine contains Nitrogen: 13.3 g/l; Chloride (Cl-): 5.87 g/l; Sodium (Na+): 3.17 g/l; Potassium (k+): 1.750 g/l; Inorganic sulfur (S): 0.163 g/l; Phosphate (P): 0.95 g/l; pH: 5:6.
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