How China's craze for Pakistani donkeys is crushing the cash-strapped country's poor

Time of India

a day ago

Abdul Rasheed is in trouble. Last week, his donkey named Tiger, his only source of income, died in an accident. Without a donkey cart, Rasheed has no way to earn money. But buying a new donkey is now a big problem. Prices have shot up to as high as Rs 2 lakh in Karachi and other parts of Pakistan, far more than the Rs 30,000 he paid for Tiger eight years ago.
Rasheed is not alone. Many other poor workers who rely on donkeys for their daily earnings are facing the same crisis. The reason? A growing demand from China, which uses donkey skin to make a traditional medicine called ejiao. It is believed to help with fatigue, improve immunity, reduce tumours, and treat anaemia.
China's ejiao industry has seen a huge boom. With not enough donkeys at home, Chinese buyers are turning to Pakistan, where donkeys are cheaper and easier to find.
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Ejiao demand fuels price hike
As per a PTI report, Dr Guo Jing Feng, who runs a medical centre in Karachi, said China's need for donkey hides is only going to increase. 'This is now a global trade,' he explained, 'and China's demand is much higher than its supply.'
Even in the Lyari market, Pakistan's biggest donkey market, prices have jumped. Rasheed says the cheapest healthy donkey he could find was Rs 1.55 lakh. 'How can I afford that? Even if I somehow buy one, what if it dies before I recover my investment?'
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Livelihood at stake
Donkeys are vital for many industries in Pakistan, from brick kilns and agriculture to transport and even laundry services. Workers like Samad use them to carry heavy loads across rough roads, earning Rs 1,500–2,000 a day, half of which goes into feeding and caring for the animal.
With around 5.9 million working donkeys, Pakistan is home to the third largest donkey population in the world, after Ethiopia and Sudan.
Chinese interest and ethical concerns
In April 2025, a Chinese delegation met with Pakistan's food security minister to discuss setting up donkey farms. The idea is to use local labour for care and management, which could help Pakistan's economy.
But not everyone agrees. Dr Asal Khan, a senior official from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said some Chinese companies had shown interest in exporting donkeys, but 'we are not allowing that to happen.'
Donkey traders say some Chinese buyers are even willing to purchase weak animals just for their hides. In one case, a group paid Rs 40,000 each for 14 unhealthy donkeys.
What about meat concerns?
Ethical issues also remain. Saleem Reza of the
Karachi Chamber of Commerce
says there must be strict rules. 'Donkey meat is haram for us,' he said. 'The government must ensure donkeys are not slaughtered in Pakistan and their meat is not sold illegally.'
He added that proper factories are needed to manage hide and meat processing, to make sure nothing enters local markets wrongly.
Inputs from PTI