The $6 million Chinese-owned donkey export slaughterhouse is one of three to open in Kenya in the last 18 months. Since the opening of the abattoirs, which process hundreds of donkeys a day, the price of an adult donkey in the country has soared to between $90 and $130 from $40 in less than two years. The animals are used in ejiao, a traditional Chinese remedy, and in some areas, as a delicious, nutritious food source. “With the huge demand in China, the country’s donkey population is now in danger,” says Dr Samuel Kahariri, a chairperson of the Kenya Veterinary Association, an industry lobby group, and member of the Kenya Veterinary Board, a government body that regulates the livestock sector. Kenyan officials see investment in the abattoirs as positive, providing new business for livestock keepers, and employment opportunities in local communities. The three slaughterhouses have a combined workforce of about 550 workers. –Quartz/
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Who is really winning when the slaughterhouses are Chinese-owned and the demand is comes from China? Moreover, while this brings in investment to the country, is this what the Kenyan citizens need? Is this really the best development strategy or any easy source of revenue?
