Expanding the Production of Rabbit Meat in the Dominican Republic

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In May of 2020, an association of Dominican rabbit breeders wanted to broaden its rabbit-based products, apart from rabbit fillets. To help them explore new value-added goods, a F2F volunteer was requested to train the breeders in the value-added processing of rabbit products. CEPROR (Centro de Educación y Promoción Rural) is an education center located in Villa Tapia, La Vega that was first founded as a mother’s club and in 2009 became an association. It currently has approximately 40 members who work on its goat, rabbit, and duck farms; some of whom also teach technical courses for the students that attend the public school right next to it.

The chosen volunteer for this assignment was Mr. Robert Spencer, a small-animal specialist and rabbit breeder from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Spencer could not travel to the Dominican Republic and had to complete this assignment remotely from his home in Alabama. During this four-month assignment, the volunteer conducted six virtual meetings with the host: The first two of these were to explore production and value-added options, and the next three to evaluate product development and experiences. The final meeting was for Spencer to receive feedback from CEPROR regarding product quality, opportunities for expansion, the feasibility of continuing with the product development, and anticipated challenges. 


Spencer provided reassuring support throughout the assignment and took advantage of video calls to better understand CEPROR’s interests and capabilities. He also exchanged information with the host through e-mails and used other training materials, such as YouTube videos. During these interactions, the volunteer trained four members from CEPROR. Initially, the group had high expectations and wanted to pursue all options, including rabbit parts, rabbit hides, and rabbit sausages. However, after several discussions, they realized how labor-intensive that would be. Therefore, they focused their enthusiasm and energy on processing rabbit meat into nine different products, including rabbit sausages. 

At the end of the assignment, CEPROR was already testing its new products with the public through tastings, surveys, and cooking demonstrations, both live and on TV. They also have a graduate student who is writing his/her final thesis on their work. CEPROR now plans to recruit more rabbit breeders, increase its rabbit production, continue developing products, and pursue more marketing opportunities to promote the health benefits of rabbit meat consumption. They have also partnered with a local female processor from a commercial meat grinder, who will support CEPROR with their upcoming product line.

Spencer said of this assignment: “Every time I volunteer for an assignment, I become motivated and develop a desire to provide the most viable/sustainable information possible. I want every individual to explore and learn about product management, development, and opportunities should they choose further pursuit.” Thanks to Spencer’s support, members from the host organization are now more confident in their capacities and abilities and are looking forward to expanding their rabbit business.



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