The Grasscutter: An Untapped Resource of Africa’s Grasslands

2017

English

The grasscutter, Thryonomys swinderianus, is one of the large rodents of Africa’s grasslands being domesticated. Naturally, the distribution of the grasscutter is influenced by occurrence of dense and thick cane-like grasses growing in damp places. The economic potential of the grasscutter is the reason many development agencies and non-governmental organizations interested in reducing poverty are promoting its production, particularly in countries in the West African sub-region where the meat of the animal is a delicacy. The meat of grasscutter enjoys a higher premium price per kilogram weight than chicken, beef, pork, mutton or chevon among many West Africans and elsewhere. Compared to other meats such as rabbit meat, grasscutter meat is very low in cholesterol and high in protein. It has a very high mineral (e.g. iron, calcium and phosphorous) content compared to beef, mutton, and chevon. The economic return on rearing is comparable to that of a cow, much higher than most livestock species, and only lower than that of the pig. However, there is very little information on basic production parameters for efficient economic exploitation under captive breeding, which has translated into poor production performance under captivity compared to the rabbit. Further research is required with regards to the nutrition of the grasscutter as well as the constraints associated with growth rates and reproductive efficiency in captivity. Genetic improvement of the grasscutter is another area that needs extensive research in order to improve upon its docility.

The Grasscutter: An Untapped Resource of Africa’s Grasslands