News / Agriculture
Local rabbit consortium fails to pay farmers
16 Jan 2018 at 02:53hrs | Views
A local consortium, Rabbit Breeders and Producers Association of Zimbabwe (RBPAZ) which trains and buys rabbits from its members has been failing to pay its farmers, with some reporting to have gone for three months without payment of their produce.
This has stalled production of rabbits as some farmers lack prerequisite funds to buy feeds. Rabbits require pellets and hay as food and a six pack medicine kit to keep them well.
The rearing of rabbits is being done in backyards as it requires minimal space.
"I heard about RAZ last year in October, did a course with them and supplied them with 60 rabbits up to now they haven't paid me and I cannot continue with the project.
"I am very disgruntled; they can't even give a day when they will pay me. A guy called Bravo deals with the payments. His not forthcoming at all," said a farmer.
Another rabbit producer who spoke to Bulawayo24 said she is yet to be paid for 80 rabbits that she supplied on the 1st of November.
"Our apologies to those whose payments are still outstanding," RBPAZ executive chairman Mr Jonathan Tembo told farmers in a statement.
"Unfortunately the vicious cycle comes by when payments to us are also delayed and last year it went very bad to the extent that it also affected payments to some farmers."
RBPAZ buys rabbits and packages them under the Rabbitos brand name.
The association only buys rabbits from its members who have to fork out $50 for training and membership fee.
This has stalled production of rabbits as some farmers lack prerequisite funds to buy feeds. Rabbits require pellets and hay as food and a six pack medicine kit to keep them well.
The rearing of rabbits is being done in backyards as it requires minimal space.
"I heard about RAZ last year in October, did a course with them and supplied them with 60 rabbits up to now they haven't paid me and I cannot continue with the project.
"I am very disgruntled; they can't even give a day when they will pay me. A guy called Bravo deals with the payments. His not forthcoming at all," said a farmer.
Another rabbit producer who spoke to Bulawayo24 said she is yet to be paid for 80 rabbits that she supplied on the 1st of November.
"Our apologies to those whose payments are still outstanding," RBPAZ executive chairman Mr Jonathan Tembo told farmers in a statement.
"Unfortunately the vicious cycle comes by when payments to us are also delayed and last year it went very bad to the extent that it also affected payments to some farmers."
RBPAZ buys rabbits and packages them under the Rabbitos brand name.
The association only buys rabbits from its members who have to fork out $50 for training and membership fee.
Source - Leonard Koni
