Boost to economy: Pakistan to export live donkeys to China
Pakistan ranks third in the world with a donkey population exceeding 5 million
PHOTO: REUTERS
In a bid to provide a much-needed boost to the country's economy, the government is planning to export donkeys to China, Gulf News reported.
According to a senior official at the livestock department in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the department would focus on building donkey farms in order to boost exports.
Globally, Pakistan has the third-largest population of donkeys, while China stands at number one.
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Recently, a veterinary facility in Lahore was inaugurated to support the initiative.
Two more farms being set up in Dera Ismail Khan and Mansehra with foreign partnership.
Pakistani authorities have said that foreign companies were willing to make a $3 billion investment enabling commercial farming of donkeys.
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The government, during the first three years, plans to export 80,000 donkeys to China.
"The proposed project will help improve the socio-economic status of donkey-rearing communities by improving the health and production of local donkeys," according to a statement by the K-P livestock department.
Donkey-rearing is beneficial as gelatin made from donkey skin has been long considered to have medicinal properties.
This article originally appeared in Gulf News.