Abstract:
The role of small rabbit producers was studied in this paper. Interviews with farmers and with the president of the
Hungarian Rabbit Production Board were carried out in the South Plain Region of Hungary. The number of small rabbit
farms and backyard production was reduced dramatically after the EU accession of the country. The rabbit production
was decreased with more than 20% in the last year. There was no homogenous rabbit stock and quality; several
problems were with the feeding and keeping technologies. The foreign consumers demanded animal welfare standards.
Due to the lack of traceability at small scale farms the Hungarian abattoirs stopped accepting rabbits from small
producers. New market was found for the living rabbit of small producers in Czech Republic, or they can sell the rabbits
on local markets. The size of the recommended stock is over 1000 breeding does. The profitability of small stocks is
very low or often negative at the moment. There are to alternatives in front of the small farmers: development of the
rabbit farming to an entrepreneurial size on one hand, or preserve the traditional way of rabbit husbandry and help the
rise of home sales and local market on the other hand. There is a demand of the slaughterhouses for rabbits from large
scale farms, but their number does not increase because of the unpredictable export possibilities and fluctuating prices.
