LAHORE – A significant increase has been witnessed in prices of donkey in Pakistan as per animal rate has surged to Rs300,000.
The whooping hike in donkey rates has left local buyers upset as they are unable to pay higher prices for the animal, which is used to pull carts, supply various items, including building material in hilly areas, and other purposes.
Reports said the prices of donkey soared in Pakistan after government allowed exporting of its hides to China where these are reportedly used in manufacturing of various cosmetics products.
The report said that traders involved in exporting donkey hides to China are actively buying the animals to meet the demand of the neighbouring country.
This practice has caused a massive surge in donkey prices in Pakistan.
Earlier this year, the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce had recommended the government to export live donkeys to China and not just the hides of the animals.
Meanwhile, the population of donkeys in Pakistan has surged to 5.9 million during the fiscal year 2023-24, continuing a trend of consistent growth over recent years.
This data was disclosed in the Pakistan Economic Survey (PES) 2023-24 released on Tuesday. According to the survey, the number of donkeys has steadily increased from 5.5 million in 2019-2020 to 5.6 million in 2020-21, 5.7 million in 2021-22, and 5.8 million in 2022-23.
