At the weekly media forum Habi at Kape at Abreeza Mall, hog raisers brought lechon and proceeded to partake of it to show that eating pork in the time of the African Swine Fever is still safe.
With the massive hog culling or depopulation, if you will, many stay away from pork and choose other kinds of meat. Pretty soon, rabbit meat will find its way to our table. It is said to be healthier, high in protein and low in cholesterol, calories and sodium.
This reminds me of Richard Adam’s novel Watership Down, a story of survival and quest to adamantly follow the road less travelled. The rabbit Fiver, who led a warren to a home far from the intrusion of man, had to go through a lot of sacrifices and challenges coming from all directions, before he finally finds a new home for everyone. One of the nicest places they spent was in a farm with healthy, cleared-eye rabbits running around the hills and valleys. Little did Fiver’s team know that these fat rabbits were served for man’s consumption. We are not sure if rabbit meat can ever be part of our diet, as most still see rabbits as pets.
No matter the low cost of investment of a rabbit farm and the speed with which they can propagate, we don’t see eating rabbit meat finding traction here. Many would rather change their diet into Paleo or plant-based, than continue to eat meat.
Should the ASF spread to other barangays or contiguous towns, consumers have to decide on the food groups, as a number still don’t allow pork in their diets. Other than that, we have to survive this disease and eat pork in the time of Swine flu.
