Kagawa University, based at Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa prefecture, has continued to study how to feed edible rabbits, with a view to adding a new business of rabbit feeding into the livestock industry in Japan.
Rabbit meat is one of the common ingredients in European countries. The rabbit, however, has a nature of being vulnerable against medicine such as antibiotics. Researchers of the University, taking advantage of this nature, aim to stimulate new demand of organic rabbit meats in the country by developing a medicine-free method for feeding management.
Domestic rabbit meats, produced only in Akita prefecture, has a small share in the distribution market of Japan. Almost of distributed rabbit meats are imported from other countries.
Meanwhile, people of western cuisine restaurants are raising their expectations for supplies of local rabbit meats as an ingredient to be added to beef, pork, chicken and mutton.
“I really expect the University people to achieve a good result. If supplies of local rabbit meats increase in the market, more restaurants will be pleased to use them,” Seigo Kadota, 75, an owner of a European cuisine restaurant in Matsuyama-shi, Ehime prefecture, now using frozen rabbit meats imported from France, said.