KP govt to establish donkey farms

PESHAWAR: As a part of its donkey export plan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) livestock department on Thursday announced to set up donkey farms in DI Khan and Mansehra.

According to the KP livestock department, the donkey farms will be established with foreign collaboration. “Agreements will be signed with the Chinese government as well as registered companies,” officials of the department said.

During the first phase of export, ailing, weak and paralysed donkeys will be supplied. “In the first three years, 80,000 donkeys will be exported. Donkeys are bred in farms in 2.5 to 3 years,” livestock department officials shared.

“An important breakthrough is expected this year in the plan to export donkeys.”

The provincial department further said, “Chinese companies are interested in donkey farms and foreign companies are ready to invest $3 billion in them.”

Speaking about the critical aspect of the donkey export plan, the officials continued, “Over 70,000 households in the province are dependent on donkeys for their source of income, thus we want to sign agreements after thinking carefully as we do not want a scarcity of the animals in the province.”

Donkeys have huge demand in China, the livestock department said, as they are used for making medicines as well as furniture there.