Donkey prices in Pakistan rise due to high demand from China

Rising demand from China, where donkey hides are used for cosmetics and medications, has skyrocketed donkey prices in Pakistan, reaching up to Rs300,000.

The main reason for the price increase, according to market vendors, is China’s expanding demand for donkey skins.

A traditional Chinese medication called “e jia” is made from donkey skins, which are also used in a range of cosmetic goods.

Due to the increase in demand, donkeys are now a profitable commodity, especially for those who want to export hides in order to fulfill Chinese needs.

Local consumers are finding it harder and harder to purchase donkeys as a result of the skyrocketing prices, which has led to a decline in buyers in marketplaces where local companies used to have a strong demand for donkeys.

In Pakistan, the domestic markets have been impacted by the worldwide demand for natural resources in cosmetics and medicines, which is reflected in the growing pricing. As there are no indications that this demand will abate, high prices are anticipated to persist.

Donkey skins, along with livestock, dairy products, and chillies, were permitted to be exported from Pakistan to China in June 2023. In order to formalize and control the export of these goods, the federal cabinet approved the signing of four protocols with China through a circulating summary.

Pakistan was able to move forward with this trade agreement since the Ministry of Law and Justice had earlier authorized the protocols.

The increased demand in China has made the export of donkey hides more and more important. China had shown interest in importing dogs and donkeys from Pakistan, it was disclosed during a Senate Standing Committee on Commerce hearing in 2022.