Two Chinese companies have applied for licenses to export donkey meat and bones from Pakistan, marking a significant development in the country’s livestock export sector.
The applications, currently under review, include permissions for slaughterhouse operations and export clearance. If approved, the companies will be allowed to process and export donkey products exclusively through Gwadar, Balochistan. This restriction aims to prevent local distribution, ensuring that all meat preparation and shipments are confined to the designated location.
The news comes just a day after the Islamabad Food Authority (IFA) conducted a raid on an illegal slaughterhouse in Tarnol on July 27. During the operation, authorities recovered 1,000 kilograms of donkey meat and rescued over 50 live donkeys. A foreign national was detained at the scene, and a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered.
Preliminary investigations suggest the recovered meat was intended for export. Authorities are now probing further to identify other potential distribution points.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s donkey population has seen a notable increase, rising by 109,000 over the past year to reach 6.047 million, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
This development highlights the growing interest in Pakistan’s livestock sector, particularly in the export of unconventional products like donkey meat and bones, which are in demand in international markets.
