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TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE PROFESSOR

HELPS HUNGRY PEOPLE FEED THEMSELVES

KINGSVILLE (Sept. 2, 1998) -- Dr. Steven Lukefahr, professor in the animal and wildlife science department at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, says many Americans have what he calls "the Easter Bunny syndrome" and have a real problem with eating rabbit meat.

However, Lukefahr has spent most of his life promoting the benefits of rabbit meat as a nutritional and cost effective food source and traveling to Third World countries starting rabbit projects for the "hungry people."

He just returned from trips to Uganda in east Africa and Vietnam where he started rabbit projects. His next trip is to Mexico where he will speak at an international conference organized by the American Branch-World Rabbit Science Association. Lukefahr is president of the organization.

The topic of his presentation, "Small Scale Rabbit Meat Production: Back to the Basics," is based on his efforts to start small rabbit projects in developing countries.

Raising rabbits for consumption is a cost effective project, Lukefahr said. "Starting a rabbit project costs the families involved almost nothing. They grow rabbit feed on their own small farms and build hutches with materials that grow locally. If they eat rabbit meat twice a week, they may still have some fryer rabbits left to sell for income."

A rabbit raised for meat is a fryer rabbit. Rabbit females are does while males are bucks.

"Some of the breeding stock is provided to families on an in-kind loan basis," Lukefahr said. "A trio of offspring from the first litter are returned and distributed to another to a poor family."

"Rabbit meat is higher in protein than any of the traditional meats, such as poultry, veal, beef, lamb or pork according to the United States Department of Agriculture," Lukefahr said. "It is also considerably lower in fat and cholesterol, so it provides parents in these developing countries a way to feed their families a nutritional meal."

It doesn't take a lot of property or space to keep rabbits, Lukefahr said. "In a cage that is 30 inches by 30 inches, one breeding doe can produce up to eight litters a year. This will produce approximately 50 young fryers or approximately 10 times the body weight of the doe per year."

Lukefahr has always been interested in rabbits. "My father helped me to build my first rabbit hutches. My mother often prepared rabbit dishes. I always knew they had so much potential as a food source."

Lukefahr received his bachelor's degree in animal science from Texas A&I University in 1978. At the urging of one of his professors, he did his graduate work at Oregon State University working at the Rabbit Research Center in the animal science department.

Lukefahr has published two books, Rabbit Production and A Rabbit Project Training Book, and over 100 articles in national and international journals.

He has worked in 20 developing countries that currently have rabbit projects in an effort for people to feed themselves, Lukefahr said.

In Uganda, Lukefahr helped develop a training program for local farmers. "They had a rabbit program, but the farmers not well trained. Proper training needs to be developed in order to raise rabbits right."

"I go to the villages and sometimes witness children who are starving to death. One out of every six children in Uganda die before they are five years old. AIDS has wracked the country," he said. "It is hard, but you do what you can while you are there."

Deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion and poaching are problems in Uganda. Only two percent of the population is over 65 years old with an average life expectancy of just under 40. Only 62 percent of the population over 15 can read and write.

In Vietnam, the major environmental problems are water pollution and overfishing threatened marine life populations. The average life expectancy is 67 years old.

This is not the first time Lukefahr has visited a Third World country. He lived for two years, from 1983-85, in the African country of Cameroon working for Heifer Project International. "We worked long and hard developing rabbit projects that are now self-sustaining. To date approximately 2,000 families raise rabbits in the province where I worked."

Back in Kingsville, Lukefahr has an ongoing rabbit project at the Texas A&M-Kingsville farm, where he has bred 15-20 pound rabbits for sale to local companies like HEB, Sun Harvest Farms and B Bar B. The average commercial rabbit weighs around 10 pounds.

When Lukefahr is not hopping around the globe starting rabbit projects, he is superintendent of the rabbit division for the Kleberg County Livestock Show. "A rabbit is an excellent learning experience for 4-H and FFA members. They are popular in this area," he said. "Not only do the students learn about raising rabbits, but they also learn biology, animal care and responsibility."

Back in the classroom at Texas A&M-Kingsville, Lukefahr teaches genetics, international animal agricultural and introduction to animal science. "In my introductory classes, I tell my students on their first day in the lecture hall, 'Twenty years ago, I sat in that chair (pointing). I followed my dream and you can do the same. Don't give up, it can be accomplished.' I hope they are listening."

-TAMUK-