18 May 2022 – City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) head Dr. Silardo Bested said the city government’s rabbit dispersal project is  ‘alive and hopping’ with around 1,800 of the cute and furry animals  distributed to interested residents so far.

He said the P10-million Department of Agriculture (DA)-funded project, which includes the distribution of rabbits and chickens, was launched last year in partnership with the city government thru the CVAO.

The project is part of the DA’s aim to promote rabbit production in the Cordillera region where it also conducted the Agribusiness Support for Promotion and Investment in Regional Exposition (ASPIRE) in the city last September.

ASPIRE is a DA agribusiness and marketing program that aims at integrating market development support services to farmers; fisherfolk; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs); and other stakeholders.

Bested explained that the idea of distributing rabbits was conceived to offer an alternative to pork meat that was quite expensive and its supply was lacking at the time.

According to nutritionists and other health experts, rabbit meat has very low cholesterol content as compared to that of most livestock, he claimed.

The project is also in line with the 16-core agenda of the city government under Mayor Benjamin Magalong that includes strengthened livelihood and entrepreneurial services, poverty reduction, and more.

For more information on the ongoing program, interested parties can visit the CVAO at  Slaughterhouse compound or call (074) 443-5332.-Gaby B. Keith