Deterring Factors Why Rabbit Meat Is Not Popular Among Malaysian Consumers

Abstract

Rabbit meat is highly nutritious and possesses a healthy source of protein, yet it remains the unpopular choice of meat among Malaysian consumers. Thus, this paper investigates the deterring factors why it is so. By using descriptive statistics from a sample of 220 Malaysian respondents, it was found that the strong deterring factors why people do not eat rabbit meat are its availability in the market, versatility in cooking as well as its expensive price. Besides, there is also a misconception that rabbit meat has no nutritious effect as opposed to other meats such as chicken and beef. Therefore, it is recommended that awareness should be given to Malaysian consumers about the benefits of consuming rabbit meat, as well as how to cook it to expose the majority of the consumers to its versatility in cooking meats. Besides, incentives and subsidies shall be provided by the government and local authorities to rural producers to tackle the issue of its expensive price.