Why population of donkeys continues to rise in Pakistan? Is China responsible for it?

Why population of donkeys continues to rise in Pakistan? Is China responsible for it?

Pakistan Economic Survey (PES) 2022-23 revealed that the number of donkeys in the country has increased, triggering a buzz in the media which is already obsessed with the population of donkeys in the South Asian nation.

The survey revealed that the population of donkeys saw an increase of 100,000 to reach 5.8 million during the fiscal year 2022-23, as compared with 5.7 million during the previous one.

Talking about the cattle population, the survey mentioned that the number of buffaloes also grew, reaching 45 million from 43.7 million in the last fiscal year.

The fresh data showed that the population of sheep and goats increased to 32.3 and 84.7 million respectively.

However, the number of camels, horses and mules witnessed no significant change in the last four years and remained at 1.1 million and 0.4 million, and 0.2 million respectively.

Pakistan has been reeling under sever economic crisis. Most of the sectors in the dwindling economy are impacted because of the crisis, but amid the worsening situation, the livestock sector has emerged as the largest contributor to the agriculture sector.

Data has revealed that the livestock sector accounts for approximately 62.68 per cent of the agriculture value added and 14.36 per cent of the national GDP during fiscal year 2023 and It grew at 3.78 per cent compared to 2.25 per cent last year.

Local reports mentioned that the world’s third largest population of donkeys is in Pakistan, with more than five million animals. China stands at number one.

Some reports mentioned that the population of donkeys has seen substantial growth in Pakistan because of huge demand from China. The demand forces so many people in Pakistan to rear donkeys to earn foreign exchange worth millions of dollars annually.

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Why does China import donkeys?

China has a huge demand for donkeys as it needs them to meet the rising demand for gelatin-based traditional Chinese medicine ejiao. Millions of donkeys are slaughtered for the same.

Reports have mentioned that almost every part of the donkey’s body, including meat, hide and milk, has demand in the market and has an economic value, with meat being normally demanded in Chinese street food. Sometimes the meat is being used without the customers’ knowledge.

Traditional Chinese medicines are used to enrich or nourish the blood, enhance the immune system, and slow down ageing.

A report published in 2019 by the Donkey Sanctuary mentioned a gruesome reality, revealing how donkeys are transported on long journeys without access to food or water. It mentioned that many donkeys were stolen from communities that rely on the animals for their livelihoods and some die en route.

(With inputs from agencies)

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