Speech at the International Rabbit

Conference in Tropical Climate and the 4th

Asian Rabbit Production Conference

By Mr. Yanxu Gao

President of the Asian Rabbit Production Association

D e a r D i s t i n g u i s h e d M i n i s te r Y B D ato ’ S a l a h u d d i n Ay u b , D e a r D i s t i n g u i s h e d

Pre s i d e nt A i syat u r i d d h a A b d u l l a h , d e a r g u e st s , a l l p a r t i c i p ant s , l a d i e s

a n d g e nt l e me n ,

I t ' s my g re at h o nor t o b e h e re t o at te n d t h e i nt e r n at i o n a l c o nfe ren c e

o n ra b b i t p ro d u c t i o n i n t ro p i ca l c l i mate a n d t h e 4 t h A s i a n ra b b i t

p ro duct i o n co nfe re nc e . A s p re s i de nt o f A s i a n R a b b i t p ro d u c t i o n

A s s o c i at i o n , I ' d l i ke t o ex p re s s my wa r ml y we l come a n d g re at t h a n ks

t o yo u a l l p a r t i c i pa nt s .

L o o k i n g b a c k o v e r t h e p a s t d e c a d e , s h o c ke d b y t h e g l o b a l e c o n o m i c c r i s i s i n y e a r 2 0 0 8 , m o s t c o u n t r y ' s e c o n o my s t i l l f a c e s r e c e s s i o n , m a ny

i n d u s t r i e s h a v e r e t a i n e d s t a g n a n t , b u t ra b b i t i n d u s t r y h a s a c h i e v e d i m p re s s i v e r e s u l t s .

I n 2 0 0 7 , g l o b a l s l a u g h t e r e d ra b b i t a n d y e a r - e n d s t o c k r e a c h e d 9 7 2 m i l l i o n a n d 3 1 0 m i l l i o n h e a d s r e s p e c t i v e l y. T h e s l a u g h t e re d ra b b i t

n u m b e r w a s 1 . 2 2 t i m e s t h a t o f 2 0 0 8 , w i t h a n a v e ra g e a n n u a l g ro w t h ra t e o f 2 . 2 7 % .

I n 2 0 1 7 , t h e g l o b a l ra b b i t m e a t o u t p u t r e a c h e d 1 . 4 8 2 4 m i l l i o n t o n s , t h e a v e ra g e a n n u a l g ro w t h ra t e r e a c h e d 3 . 2 8 % . T h e s e a c h i e v e m e n t s

a r e t h e r e s u l t o f t h e j o i n t e f f o r t s o f t h e g l o b a l ra b b i t i n d u s t r y p l ay e rs .

I n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f ra b b i t i n d u s t r y o n a l l c o n t i n e n t s , t h e A s i a i s l e a d i n g a r e a , i n 2 0 1 7 t h e A s i a n s l a u g h t e re d ra b b i t n u m b e r a n d e n d - y e a r s t o ra g e v o l u m e a c c o u n t e d f o r 7 2 . 5 9 p e rc e n t a n d 8 5 . 1 6

p e rc e n t o f t h e w o r l d , r e s p e c t i v e l y, t h e a v e ra g e a n n u a l g ro w t h ra t e i n t h e l a s t d e c a d e i s 3 . 5 9 p e rc e n t a n d 1 . 5 3 p e rc e n t .

A s i a n ra b b i t m e a t o u t p u t r e a c h e d 1 0 8 . 8 3 m i l l i o n t o n s , a c c o u nt i n g f o r 7 3 . 4 1 % o f t h e w o r l d , w i t h a n a v e ra g e a n n u a l g ro w t h ra t e o f

4 . 7 8 % . T h e s e a c h i e v e m e n t s a r e a l s o t h e p r i d e o f t h e ra b b i t i n d u s t r y p ra c t i t i o n e rs i n t h e A s i a n a r e a a n d t h e w o r l d .

To d ay we a re gat h e re d h e re t o d i s c u s s t h e d e v e l o p me nt o f ra b b i t i n d u st r y i n A s i a a n d t h e g l o b a l t ro p i ca l c l i mates , t o s u m u p

ex p e r i e n c e s a n d l o o k t o t h e f u t u re , w h i c h i s o f g re at s i g n i f i ca n c e fo r f u r t h e r p ro mot i n g t h e d e ve l o p me nt o f t h e ra b b i t i n d u st r y.

Ta ke n t o get h e r, t h e f u t u re d e v e l op me nt o f t h e g l o b a l ra b b i t i n d u st r y re q u i re s s p e c i a l a t tent i o n t o t h e fo l l owi n g i s s u e s :

First, the disease prevention and control of small-scale rabbit farms.

Fo r s m a l l - s ca l e ra bb i t fa r ms , d u e t o t h e l o w d e g re e o f s ta n d a rd i zat i o n o f ra b b i t b re e d i n g , i n c l u d i n g m u l t i a n d

h e te rogen o u s fe e d re s ou rc e s , m a ny l o ca l l o w - q u a l i t y b re e d i n g ra b b i t va r i e t i e s , d i v e rs i f i e d ra b b i t h o u s e b u i l d i n g .

T h i s c a u s e s b re e d i n g e nv i ron me nt c o nt ro l i s v e r y d i f f i c u l t , a n d s c i e nt i f i c d i s e a s e p reve nt i o n a n d c o nt ro l c a n n ot b e i m p l e me nte d , s o ra b b i t d i s e a s e o c c u rs f ro m t i me t o t i m e , f i n a l l y ra b b i t b re e d i n g i s i n ef f i c i e nt . T h i s i s a l s o a c o mmon p ro b l e m i n ra b b i t fa r mi n g i n

m o st d e v e l op i n g c o u nt r i e s .

Second, the technological innovation and AI of large-scale rabbit farm.

T h e t e c h n o l og y i s t h e m o st f u n d a me nta l fa c tor o f a n i n d u st r y, ra b b i t i n d u st r y i s n o exc e pt i o n .

L a rge - s ca l e ra bb i t fa r ms o r ra bb i t i n d u st r y c h a i n e nt e r pr i s e s a re t h e b a c k b on e o f t e c h n o l o g i ca l i n n ovat i o n a n d R & D, i n c l u d i n g

ra b b i t b re e d i n g , fe e d n u t r i t i on fo r mu l a , e nv i ron me nta l c o nt ro l a n d o t h e r t e c h n o l o g i e s , e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e c o ntex t o f l a b o u r c o st

i n c re a s e , t h e i nt rod u c t i o n o f a r t i f i c i a l i n t e l l i ge n c e ( A I ) g ra d u a l l y b e come a fo c u s p f m a ny l a rge - s ca l e e nt e r p r i s e s i n ra b b i t i n d u st r y.

Third, from the perspective of rabbit industrial chain, in many countries rabbit product processing has become a constraint to

industrial development.

Because of the short per iod of rabbi t breeding , i t i s easy to supply enough s l aughtered rabbi ts , but process ing and market ing face cha l lenges , i t has become a bott leneck

rest r i c t ing the development o f rabbi t i ndustry.

Therefore , i t i s necessary to st rengthen the re l evant work i n process ing , market ing and branding etc .

Fourth, in the long run, environmental protection and sustainable development have gradually become an important goal for the

development of the animal husbandry industry.

C o mp a re d w i t h o t h e r l i v e stoc k a n d p o u l t r y s p e c i e s , t h e e nv i ron me nta l p o l l u t i o n o f ra b b i t s i s re l at i ve l y s m a l l , b u t f ro m

t h e p o i nt o f v i e w o f e nv i ron menta l p ro te c t i o n , s p e c i a l a t te nt i o n i s s t i l l n e e de d .

I n C h i n a a n d m a ny o t h e r c o u nt r i e s fa r mers h ave ex p l o red t h e " ra b b i t b re e d i n g + f r u i t / ve geta b l e m o d e l " a n d o t h e r c i rc u l a r

d e ve l o pme nt m o de l , wo r t hy o f l e a r n i ng .

Fifth, in terms of the future of the rabbit industry in Asia and the world, countries need to strengthen international cooperation.

Ea c h c o u n t r y n e e d b a s e s o n t h e i r c o m p a ra t i v e a d va n ta g e s t o e x p a n d t h e c o o p e ra t i o n w i t h o t h e rs , w h i c h c a n a c h i e v e m u t u a l b e n e f i t a n d

w i n - w i n r e s u l t s .

R a b b i t f a r m i n g i n E u ro p e h a s a d va n c e d t e c h n o l o g y, e s p e c i a l l y h i g h -q u a l i t y b r e e d i n g v a r i e t i e s ; i n A s i a n c o u n t r i e s , n o r m a l l y, t h e i r f a r m

s c a l e s a r e s m a l l , i n o r d e r t o a d a p t t o b i g m a r ke t , t h e y h a v e e x p l o r e d d i f fe r e nt f a r m i n g m o d e l s a n d d e v e l o p e d r e l e va n t t e c h n o l o g i e s ; i n

A f r i c a a n d t h e A m e r i c a s , t h e r e a r e r e l a t i v e l y fe w ra b b i t b r e e d i n g , b u t t h e y h a v e r e l a t i v e l y c h e a p l a b o r a n d a b u n d a n t l a n d a n d f o ra g e

r e s o u rc e s ; h o w e v e r, t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d C a n a d a a r e t a k i n g a n o t h e r u n i q u e p a t h o f p e t ra b b i t d e v e l o p m e n t .

I n a l l , n o m a t t e r h o w d i f fe re n t t h e c h a ra c t e r i s t i c s o f t h e ra b b i t i n d u s t r y i n e a c h c o u n t r y, i t i s c e r ta i n t h a t t h e y n e e d c o o p e ra t e i n

d i f fe r e nt w ay, i n c l u d i n g t e c h n o l o g y, i n v e s t m e n t a n d t ra d e i n p ro d u c t s .

T h e re h a s b e e n a t ra d i t i o n o f c o o p e ra t i o n a m o n g A s i a n c o u n t r i e s , a n d b e t w e e n E u ro p e a n a n d A s i a n c o u n t r i e s , w i s h o u r f u t u r e c o o p e ra t i o n

c l o s e r.

T h e A s i a n R a b b i t P ro d u c t i o n A s s o c i a t i o n a l s o h o p e s t o c o n t i n u e t o c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f r e g i o n a l a n d g l o b a l ra b b i t i n d u s t r y !

Final ly wish our conference

successful, wish all of you have

good l i fe in Malaysia!

Thanks for your attention!