Document type: article published in Megazap Outre-Mer
Author: Megazap
Preview: Yesterday, the Coopérative des Producteurs de Lapins de La Réunion (CPLR) opened a second experimental rabbit farm on its Plaine des Grègues site. To mark the occasion, all the cooperative's institutional and financial partners were invited to learn about an innovative breeding model that places animal welfare at the heart of its approach.
A second experimental site for this pioneering
project Following on from Sainte Rose, a year and a half ago, Madame Naze's farm is the second on the island to adopt this new farming method, which is still in the experimental stage. The new 2×3-meter pens allow the rabbits greater freedom of movement than cages. The surface area per animal provides a tenfold increase exercise possibilities, notably with the addition of a mezzanine. "This model not only changes the rabbits' lives, it also changes our working conditions," says the rabbit breeder, who started her business in 2010. The BEATRIX (Bien Être Animal Transition Relance Innovation Expérimentation) project, supported by European, national and ODEADOM funds, with the participation of the ARIBEV Interprofession, is working towards a solution to implement the 2021 European Directive aiming to phase out cage farming by 2027-2030. "Only 2% of farms in mainland France have adopted this type of farming model, placing this initiative at the cutting edge of progress for animal welfare in the French overseas departments," Candice Beyssac, Deputy General Secretary of ARIBEV, stressed when she congratulated Marie-Annie Naze "for her exemplary approach, which promises a bright future for all farmers." The first phase of the project, launched on the EARL Ferrere farm in Sainte-Rose, was the first overseas experimental testing of this ground-based breeding model. Once a few adjustments had been made, the experiment demonstrated the viability of this alternative to cage rearing. For this second site, additional modifications were made. (...) The CPLR director continues: "It's important for us to be able to study the cost model at every stage. This is a viable business model, and with a number of retirements coming up, we are currently preparing 10 candidates to set up operations over the next three years." Despite its small size, CPLR has demonstrated its ability to innovate. This year, it was awarded the Agri-éthique fair trade label, which recognizes the efforts of operators committed to sustainable and ethical agriculture. This is a first for rabbit farming industries, with ambitions on a national scale! "The EARL Ferrere farm in Sainte-Rose has already been awarded the label. Our ambition is to have all Réunion's rabbit farms certified," explains Jimmy Payet. With this in mind, the cooperative will be continuing with the pilots on these two large enclosure farms over the coming months, with the aim of making the final adjustments that will make this model accessible and sustainable for all breeders in the future.
