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NSW woolly jumpers a leap ahead of Qld cousins
7 Jun 2004
NSW farmers are cashing in on rabbits bred for their superfine wool and nutritional meat, while in Queensland they could be fined up to $30,000 for keeping the animals. NSW angora rabbits are producing wool that's lighter than that of a merino sheep, seven times warmer and 15 times more valuable at $80 a kilogram. And the rabbits produce four clips a year.
Other NSW farmers are breeding Californian meat rabbits brought in from New Zealand. They're supplying restaurants and butchers with the low-cholesterol meat. One dressed rabbit weighs about 1.5kg and will feed up to four people. Farmers get good returns as each rabbit produces an average of 52 kittens a year.
But in Queensland rabbits cannot be kept for farming or as pets, with offenders facing fines up to $30,000. The Qld Government believes rabbits are still a pest; only people involved in research, magic displays or circuses may keep them and they require special permits.
The Sun-Herald, 6/6/04, page 27.
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