Pakistan is planning to export donkeys to China under a new 'Donkey Development Program'
Peshawar, Pakistan:
Pakistan has big plans to export donkeys to China. The government in Pakistan has planned a billion-rupree 'Donkey Development Program' and wants to attract Chinese investment so that they can sell it back to them. They have already selected a region in the northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province for this purpose. According to the plan, step one is to breed donkeys in order to increase its population. An official document for this program states that Donkeys are highly valued in China for its hide which is used to manufacture medicines among other things.
The program, named 'Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa-China Sustainable Donkey Development Programme' is expected to be worth a billion Pakistani rupees (approximately $9.5 million), and aims to attract Chinese investment in Pakistan's agriculture sector.
According to a report in The Express Tribune, the Pakistani government has planned an export proposal for China and will be presenting it to possible investors during a two-day road show in China this month.
"The proposed project will help improve the socio-economic status of donkey-rearing communities by improving the health and production of local donkeys. New technologies will also be introduced, and work will be done on capacity building of donkey breeders and services they provide," states an official document for the program.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government plans to "develop linkages in order to improve prices of donkeys and enhance the income of breeders and traders," the documents added. It also insisted that the scheme will meet "not only its investment cost but also generate a good amount of revenue".
According to the proposal, what the investors need to do is: construct animal shelters, buildings for semen production, offices for those involved in the program as well as build residential compounds for its staff. The investors would also need to procure the donkeys and all the necessary machinery required for the program. Finally, they (the investors) need to make arrangements to generate the needed electricity from solar energy required to make the project a success.
What the provincial government plans to do, is look after utilities (once they are set up) and provide technical and non-technical employees for the farms. "The project can be executed through a joint venture mutually agreed between the provincial government and the investor. It is also open for state-owned, state-supported and private entities," the document stated.
(with inputs from PTI)
The program, named 'Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa-China Sustainable Donkey Development Programme' is expected to be worth a billion Pakistani rupees (approximately $9.5 million), and aims to attract Chinese investment in Pakistan's agriculture sector.
According to a report in The Express Tribune, the Pakistani government has planned an export proposal for China and will be presenting it to possible investors during a two-day road show in China this month.
"The proposed project will help improve the socio-economic status of donkey-rearing communities by improving the health and production of local donkeys. New technologies will also be introduced, and work will be done on capacity building of donkey breeders and services they provide," states an official document for the program.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government plans to "develop linkages in order to improve prices of donkeys and enhance the income of breeders and traders," the documents added. It also insisted that the scheme will meet "not only its investment cost but also generate a good amount of revenue".
According to the proposal, what the investors need to do is: construct animal shelters, buildings for semen production, offices for those involved in the program as well as build residential compounds for its staff. The investors would also need to procure the donkeys and all the necessary machinery required for the program. Finally, they (the investors) need to make arrangements to generate the needed electricity from solar energy required to make the project a success.
What the provincial government plans to do, is look after utilities (once they are set up) and provide technical and non-technical employees for the farms. "The project can be executed through a joint venture mutually agreed between the provincial government and the investor. It is also open for state-owned, state-supported and private entities," the document stated.
(with inputs from PTI)
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