Rabbit meat disappearing from consumers' tables as farmers struggle with spiralling costs

A decade ago, the farmed rabbit meat industry in Australia was booming, with more than 80 farms across the country. Today, just four remain.

The once thriving industry is now in crisis, with a deadly virus and high production costs meaning the animal is now virtually disappearing from both restaurant menus and household shopping lists.

Doug Horridge, who owns one of the last farms, breeds rabbits for their meat, growing the animals until they are 12 weeks old.

He says the spiralling cost of vaccinating rabbits against calicivirus is one of the biggest threats to the industry's survival.

The infectious disease, which can kill a rabbit within 48 hours, was brought to Australia in the early 1990s to control wild rabbits.

Mr Horridge says the annual vaccination to protect his breeding stock is between $6 and $9 per rabbit.

"It works out quite expensive," Mr Horridge said.

"If you're looking at 1,000 breeding stock, at $6 a head - well, it soon adds up.

"People in the past stopped vaccinating because of the expense and hence we've ended up with only a few farms left in Australia."

The gourmet food industry is also being forced to consider its options.

Bart Avenia, from Brisbane Italian restaurant Dell 'Ugo, has been cooking with rabbit meat for six years, but says he could be forced to axe it from the menu soon.

He says it is getting harder to source the meat.

"Last year we were paying $13 per rabbit," he said.

"This year the prices, with the farms closing down ... it's gone up to $28.50."

Butchers say price of farmed meat 'through the roof'

A similar story is heard in butcher shops across the country.

Brisbane butcher Troy Rowston says he stopped selling farmed rabbit last year after the price went through the roof.

"You're looking at about $18 for the game rabbits, as opposed to about $35 for a farmed rabbit," he said.

He says even wild rabbit is hard to find and is less palatable to consumers.

"We're probably in short supply for another six weeks, according to our wholesaler. So supply is really out of whack and they're quite hard to find at all," he said.

Mr Horridge is encouraging people who have not yet tasted rabbit meat to try to find a butcher that sells it.

And despite the challenges, he is hopeful about the future of his farm.

"Even though the cost of the feed is quite expensive, the demand for rabbit meat in Australia is very strong," he said.