Abdul Rasheed, a cart donkey owner in Karachi, is in for an uncertain future. His donkey, Tiger, his only means of making ends meet died recently in an accident, and he has no way of earning a living.
As donkey prices in Pakistan went through the roof, Rasheed is not sure if he should purchase a new one. “A donkey today can cost up to Rs. 2,00,000 in the market, much too expensive than the Rs. 30,000 I spent to purchase Tiger eight years ago,” he informed.
Rasheed is not the lone ranger. Millions of poor workers all over Pakistan, who depend on donkeys for their daily bread, are now facing competition from international buyers mainly from China. China’s multi-billion-dollar ejiao business is fueling the demand with its strong dependence on donkey hides.
Why China is Demanding Donkeys?
Ejiao is a gelatin made from the boiling of donkey skin, which is employed in traditional Chinese medicine. It is well-known for its health-promoting benefits, including anti-fatigue activity, immune system boosting, tumor suppression, and relief in anemia.
“Donkey skins are an international trade now because in China their demand exceeds their availability. And it will increase to meet an increasing demand for ejiao,” said Dr Prof Guo Jing Feng, who runs the Pu-Sheng Medical Center in Karachi.
As per Rasheed, despite his good connection in Lyari, which hosts the biggest donkey market in Pakistan, the cheapest healthy donkey he is able to find will cost at least Rs. 1,55,000. “From where can I arrange for that kind of money? And even if I somehow arrange for it, I am not certain if the animal will not perish on the way before I have managed to recover the amount,” he complained. Rasheed’s yearly earnings are less than Rs. 400,000.
Donkeys: Assets of Pakistan
Donkeys are a vital asset in Pakistan’s different industries, such as transportation, agriculture, recycling, laundry, and construction particularly in brick kilns. Most of the daily laborers like Samad, who use donkey carts to carry heavy loads, earn Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000 per day, half of which they use to look after their donkey.
It is the absolute minimum, but it is what makes the household survive,” explained Samad, a Karachi resident.
Pakistan is now ranked third in the world’s donkey population, just behind Sudan and Ethiopia. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the nation added 1,09,000 donkeys last year, taking the estimated number of working donkeys to 5.9 million.
Globally, approximately 500 million impoverished people depend on working animals such as donkeys, horses, and mules.
Proposals, Protests, and Ethical Concerns
In April 2025, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, met with a Chinese delegation that showed interest in establishing donkey farms in Pakistan. A spokesman for the ministry said the project could stimulate the local economy by generating jobs at each step of the farming process ranging from feeding, management, to taking care of the animals.
“Donkey meat is haram for us and there must be a procedure under which it is not marketed commercially, illegally and unethically. There should be such designated factories where hides and meat will be slaughtered and processed so that they will not go into Pakistani markets,” underlined Saleem Reza, a senior Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry official.
Yet the religious and moral implications of this trade have raised eyebrows. Reza emphasized, “The government has to make it sure even if donkeys are required by China, they should be exported there without being killed in Pakistan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Livestock and Dairy Development Department Director General Dr Asal Khan acknowledged that private Chinese firms have expressed interest in donkey trade but explained, “These propositions were from private companies and did not ripen. Their sole motive is to purchase donkeys from here and take them to China for their hides and we are not letting that take place.
Even as the government makes an effort, there are Chinese buyers who are sourcing donkeys—no matter how unhealthy. “A Chinese group brought 14 tiny and unhealthy donkeys once at ₹40,000 each,” remembered Lyari donkey trader Zohaib Shah.
While China’s ejiao market has seen a 160% production increase in recent years, the market for donkey hides is set to follow suit bringing Pakistan’s vulnerable workers along for the ride.
