IBADAN-Saturday 10, April 2021: The Executive Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Professor Veronica Obatolu has said the institute is already undergoing a research that looks into the cause of and solutions to Rabbit Haemorraegic Disease (RHD) which became prevalent in the country last year, 2020, thereby assuring rabbit farmers and stakeholders that the institute will disclose its findings in the next 6 months.

Prof. Obatolu gave the assurance in an exclusive interview with CEOAFRICA on Wednesday at the institute stakeholders’workshop on RHD.

The workshop which took place on Wednesday, April 7th 2021 at the Prof. E.A. Adebowale Hall, Institute of Agricultural Research & Training, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, was themed “Mitigating the Effects of Rabbit Haemorraegic Disease in Nigeria.”

The first female Executive Director stated that the stakeholders’ meeting was essential because it gave the rabbit farmers the opportunity to narrate their experiences with the disease on their rabbits, adding that the presentation would help the institute to navigate its research towards the right direction.  

“The meeting is for the rabbit farmers to tell us (researchers) about their experience and the symptoms they noticed from their rabbits. Their presentation will be taken to the labouratory and help the institute in its research to find out the cause of the RHD and how it can be controlled.

 “The problems highlighted by the rabbit farmers will help us know what to address,” she stated.

Prof Obatolu further revealed that the rabbit farmers had raised complaints about losing an alarming number of their rabbits within short period.

According to her, one farmer reported that he lost about ten to twenty rabbits in about four hours.

She said “Sometime last year, some rabbit farmers experienced an outbreak of the Rabbit Haemorraegic Disease which caused the death of many rabbits.

“Within four hours, a farmer said he lost about ten to twenty animals. So that’s really an outbreak which is not good.”

The erudite Professor, however, assured the farmers that the institute will look into the issue scientifically and proffer solutions.

“As a research institute, there is need for us to look into the cause of this type of outbreak and how we can tackle it.

“With our research, we believe we will be able to solve the problem, and put the disease under control,” Obatolu expressed.