Overview of Rabbit Production as an Option for Fighting Malnutrition in Nigeria

Résumé

Malnutrition as the biggest problem currently threatening public health and wellbeing in different countries across the world; it directly affecting one-third of people in the world and occur in many forms as inadequate intake of food, lack of the right type of food for consumption and extreme lack of foods. Malnutrition promotes the occurrence of diseases and it represents economic burden. In developing countries like Nigeria, malnutrition expresses itself through children stunting growth, children wasting and deficiency in vital nutrients for normal bodily functions. The situation (malnutrition) requires a diverse solution for the promotion of healthy living across the world. From animal production perspective, addressing poor animal protein intake by increasing the supply of meat for human consumption is highly desirable especially in developing countries such as Nigeria where inadequate intake of animal protein is a problem. Apart from increasing meat supply for human consumption, efforts towards increased animal production will also be contributing to the eradication of hunger mission of United Nations (UN) by the year 2030. This paper project rabbit production as cheap alternative because rabbit production is one of the best most suitable livestock production unit that can increase supply of meat due to its short gestation interval, high yield per production period, superior meat quality and little capital requirement to start rabbit production enterprise compare with other animal production enterprises especially by the poor rural dwellers.