1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Scaling-up SLM practices by smallholder farmers (IFAD)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Uganda Landcare Network (ULN) - Uganda

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

24/05/2017

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Local rabbits are kept in a shade made of wood, iron sheet and wire mesh for manure production with the aim of obtaining animal manure for soil fertility improvement thus increasing vegetable and fruits production and household income.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Local rabbit keeping for manure production is a common practice promoted by farmers in Northern Uganda with the aim of obtaining animal manure for soil fertility improvement, increasing agricultural production and for securing household income.

Through the promotion of this technology the farmer uses animal manure because soils have low fertility, coupled with low productivity and hence low crop yields caused by degradation due to mono-culture, overgrazing and bush burning.

To obtain animal manure, local rabbits are kept within the compound for easy monitoring, minimum protection against predators and easy collection of manure. After manure is collected, it is filled into a decomposing pit. From there the manure is later applied to agricultural fields, vegetable and fruit gardens.

Important to note is that this technology is appropriate for small scale farmers with land size holding of 0.5-2 acres. it requires little amount of money at the time of establishment, it is not labour intensive and provides high nutrient manure since the rabbits are fed mainly on local feeds.

Usually manure is collected around the rabbit house on a weekly basis to be used as compost manure which is then applied to the garden. Following steps are required : Site clearing, collecting manure and digging compost pits for manure decomposition and manure application to the garden. Material required is timber, wheel barrows, hoes, nails, wire mesh and iron sheets. The compost manure pit is dug to 1 meter depth and 1 meter width. Rabbit dung is collected to fill up the pit.

To maintain the technology, land users need to clear the bush around the house for easy collection of the dung and turning the decomposing manure weekly for proper decomposition.

Usually it takes one month for a pit to fill up and the decomposition period is three months. The compost manure is then collected using a wheelbarrow and spread into the vegetables and fruits gardens of lemon grass, green peas, green pepper and fruits (tangerine, oranges).

After applying on his garden, the farmer continues to collect the surplus manure which he sells to other farmers at a rate of 2,000 shillings per spade of organic manure. This practice is usually appreciated by land users because it enhances soil fertility, increases crop production and rehabilitates badly degraded land by adding manure nutrients to the soil.

What is not liked about this technology is that the manure takes somewhat a long time to accumulate due to the small number of rabbits kept in addition to long time to decompose for application on the garden.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

Indicate year of implementation:

2016

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through land users' innovation
• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Local rabbit keeping project for animal manure

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• preserve/ improve biodiversity
• create beneficial economic impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

If land use has changed due to the implementation of the Technology, indicate land use before implementation of the Technology:

Cereals cropland and grazing fields.

3.3 Further information about land use

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• rainfed

Number of growing seasons per year:

• 1

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• integrated crop-livestock management
• beekeeping, aquaculture, poultry, rabbit farming, silkworm farming, etc.

3.5 Spread of the Technology

Specify the spread of the Technology:

• applied at specific points/ concentrated on a small area

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

The application of this technology helps repairing the soil from human-induced degradation.

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation
• reduce land degradation

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

The technical drawing shows a rabbit house (hutch). This hutch was made simple and affordable to the farmer. The hutch was constructed around the compound for easy monitoring from danger by the farmer. The farmer constructed the hutch out of wood, iron sheets for the roofing and a wire mesh door that can be opened and closed.
However, when constructing a hutch, the measurements tend to vary depending on the number of rabbits a farmer wants to rear.
The technical drawing shows that the width of the hutch is six (6) meters and having a depth of 1,5 metres. The wall of the hutch is made of wood of about 1 meter high supported by a raised platform. That platform offers protection against dangerous reptiles such as snakes that prey on rabbits.
The hutch has lower and upper levels, partitioned into smaller rooms big enough to accommodate a pair of rabbits. The sizes of the rooms are four times bigger than the size of the rabbit's length. This is to provide ample space for the rabbit to run around and stretch as well as a place to hide while playing.
A hutch is constructed in a way that protects the rabbit from adverse weather conditions such a too windy weather that usually kills or makes the rabbit to become too sick as well as to provide shade to the rabbits.
However, hutches can be difficult to clean and also rabbits may be able to escape if the wire mesh isn't tightly secured.

4.3 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

other/ national currency (specify):

UGX

Indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (if relevant): 1 USD =:

3500.0

4.4 Establishment activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing
1.	Site clearing	Agronomic	Dry and wet season
2.	Digging pits	Structural	Dry and wet season
3.	Collecting rabbit dung	Management	Dry and Wet season
4.	Pilling the dung in the pit	Management	Dry and Wet season
5.	Applying manures to the garden	Agronomic	Wet season
6.	Constructing the hutch	Structural	Dry and Wet season

Comments:

Easy to establish the technology because it requires less capital.

4.5 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Labour	persons day	2.0	3500.0	7000.0	100.0
Equipment	Hoes	piece	3.0	12000.0	36000.0	100.0
Equipment	Wheelbarrows	piece	1.0	90000.0	90000.0	100.0
Equipment	Spade	piece	1.0	30000.0	30000.0	100.0
Construction material	Nails	pics	30.0	500.0	15000.0	100.0
Construction material	Poles	pics	10.0	5000.0	50000.0	100.0
Construction material	Wire mesh	Roll	1.0	30000.0	30000.0	100.0
Construction material	Iron sheets	pics	2.0	32000.0	64000.0	100.0
Construction material	Timber	pics	10.0	12000.0	120000.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					442000.0

Comments:

Land user can afford to pay the workers during during construction, compost manure making and labour for transporting the manures to the garden.

4.6 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing/ frequency
1.	Turning the compost	Management	During dry and wet season
2.	Cleaning the hutch	Management	During dry and wet season
3.	Digging around the hutch	Management	During dry and wet season

4.7 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Clearing around the hutch	perso per dayn	1.0	3000.0	3000.0	100.0
Labour	Cleaning the hutch	person per day	4.0	3000.0	12000.0	100.0
Labour	Clearing around the manure pit	person per day	1.0	3000.0	3000.0	100.0
Labour	Adding manure to the garden	persons per day	1.0	3000.0	3000.0	100.0
Equipment	Hoe	pic	1.0	12000.0	12000.0	100.0
Equipment	Spade	pic	1.0	30000.0	30000.0	100.0
Equipment	Wheelbarrow	pic	1.0	150000.0	150000.0	100.0
Equipment	Hard broom	pic	1.0	500.0	500.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					213500.0

Comments:

Maintenance activities do not require much capital.

4.8 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Inputs such as timber, wheel barrows, hoes, nails , wire mesh and iron sheets affect costs most.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

5.3 Soils

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

No

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

5.7 Average area of land owned or leased by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• individual, not titled

Land use rights:

• individual

Water use rights:

• communal (organized)

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Income and costs

Ecological impacts

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	Type of climatic change/ extreme	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		increase	moderately
annual rainfall		decrease	moderately

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Biological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
epidemic diseases	not well

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• single cases/ experimental

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many have did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 90-100%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

Yes

If yes, indicate to which changing conditions it was adapted:

• changing markets

Specify adaptation of the Technology (design, material/ species, etc.):

Improved rabbit species being reared by the farmers that fetch high market prices.

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
The technology is good at providing locally available materials such rabbit dung/animal manure that is less cost intensive and locally obtained.
Good at improving soil fertility by applying manure, rewarding in the short, medium and long term and can be replicated by other small scale farmers in other areas.
Provides income after sale of manure.
Very appropriate for men and children/youth since it does not involve a lot of moving from one place to another for feeds.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
The technology is multipurpose (good at improving soil fertility by applying manure, provides income after sale of manure).
Easy to replicate.

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Leaching due to excessive rainfall.	Dig the manure pit under shade/shelter.
Liked by thieves.	Fencing, provision of security.
Rabbits consume lots of feeds.	Grow relevant local feeds near the homestead such as grass, maize plant.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Negative attitude by other community members.	Involve them in the process of manure preparation and hutch constructions.
Long period required for manure to decompose.	Dig pit under shade for fast cooling of the compost and enhancement of decomposition.
Low rabbit dung collection for manure since they are kept in less numbers.	Expand the number of rabbits to generate manure.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

The potential of rabbit production in improving household incomes in Nankoma Sub-county, Bugiri District, Uganda E K Ndyomugyenyi and O D Otiengino

Available from where? Costs?

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289674867_Ndyomugyenyi_E_K_and_Otiengino_O_D_2013_The_potential_of_rabbit_production_in_improving_household_incomes_in_Nankoma_Sub-county_Bugiri_District_Uganda_Livestock_Research_for_Rural_Development_25_8_htt

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

Rabbit Farming In Uganda, Rearing Tips, Farmers Association, Market, Urine, Feeds & Cages

URL:

https://www.aboutuganda.com/agriculture/rabbit-farming-in-uganda