Whether it's support and understanding, or different opinions, please follow first and then participate in the comments and discussions, thank you for your support!
Text: Jiang Yuxuan
Editor|Jiang Yuxuan
Preface
The old saying "dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat in the ground" has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, donkey meat has won people's love with its unique taste and nutritional value, and Ejiao made of donkey skin has become a hot health care product.
The donkey itself is also an industrious helper and can provide great help for agricultural activities. But despite all the attractive market prospects, why are there so few donkey owners?
The trials behind the profit surprise
In rural China, donkey farming is considered a lucrative industry, but so far very few farmers have actually engaged in the industry.
The main reason for this is that the technical threshold of the donkey industry is high, and many farmers are not familiar with the breeding and breeding methods of donkeys. In addition, the issue of marketing is also an important consideration, especially in rural areas, where donkey meat and skins are not well marketed.
At the same time, donkeys have a long growth cycle and require up to 10 months of careful rearing to meet sales standards. The reproduction rate of donkeys is very low, and only one or two young donkeys can be born each year. In contrast, pig farming is much more efficient, with up to 15 litters per sow producing two to three times a year, with a cycle of only five to six months.
In addition to the high investment and long payback period, donkey ownership comes with several other challenges. First of all, donkeys have relatively high dietary requirements, and donkeys have strict requirements for the quality and taste of food, and need to be fed with high-quality feed and sufficient water.
In addition, the health of donkeys requires a high level of attention, with regular vaccinations and disease tests, as well as appropriate medical care as needed, and the transport and breeding of donkeys is also a challenge.
Donkeys are relatively large animals that require special equipment and higher logistics costs when transporting. In addition, the breeding of donkeys requires high-quality breeding donkeys of reproductive age, but the purchase price of these breeding donkeys is high, which increases the input cost and increases the risk.
Selling donkey meat and skins is also a challenge to overcome. Although donkey meat and donkey skins are very popular in the market, there are fewer sales channels in rural areas. This makes it necessary for farmers to put in more effort and find a wider market for better profits.
Despite the high potential for profit in donkey farming, many farmers are deterred by its high investment and long payback period, as well as its meticulous feeding and breeding needs. Compared to pig farming, donkey farming is labor-intensive and complex, further increasing its difficulty and risk.
While the prospect of donkey breeding is still exciting, in practice, reaching the ambition of success requires greater knowledge and experience, as well as patience and problem-solving skills. Prefer to choose the pig industry with lower investment and faster returns.
Donkey breeding
China's donkey breeding industry used to be an important rural industry, but in recent years the industry has been affected by a series of factors, resulting in a decrease in the number of donkey breeds year by year.
From a historical point of view, donkeys are domesticated offspring of African wild asses, which are highly adaptable and enduring. More than 6,000 years ago, in China, people lacked suitable domestic animals for riding and transportation, and the African wild ass was trained as a domestic donkey because of its ability, making it an ideal labor partner for people.
In many rural areas, donkeys have been the main force of agricultural labor. They excel at walking in rough terrain and are hungry and thirsty and less picky about their food, which makes them perfect for transporting goods and labor.
In ancient times, donkey meat has always been a precious ingredient only enjoyed by the upper nobility, and it is usually out of reach to the common people. However, with the passage of time and the development of society, the mule produced by the cross between donkey and horse gradually replaced the work of donkeys, and donkey meat gradually entered the tables of ordinary people.
With the development of modern society, the rise of agricultural mechanization and the transformation of the breeding industry, the donkey industry has been seriously impacted. Despite the fact that donkeys are tolerant of rough feeding and are highly resistant to disease, the scale of breeding has gradually decreased, and many farmers have switched to the more lucrative industries of pig, cattle and sheep raising.
However, even in modern times, donkeys still hold an important place in Chinese culture. Donkey skins are used to make ejiao, a medicinal herb known as a "holy medicine" for blood tonics. In addition, donkey meat is still loved by people in some regions because of its unique nutritional value and taste.
Despite the challenges faced by the donkey industry, donkey farming is still profitable. According to the market, the cost of a meat donkey during the fattening period is about 5,000 yuan, and in the best sales situation, its selling price can be as high as more than 10,000 yuan.
However, due to factors such as the low reproduction rate of donkeys and the instability of market demand, the huge profit margins of the donkey industry have not been fully explored, and the areas with the most donkey breeding are the Hexi Corridor and Qingyang City in Gansu Province, followed by Xinjiang, Shandong and North China.
The number of donkeys in other regions is relatively small, and there is no large-scale industry and sales channels. With the development of society and the change of lifestyle, the number of donkey owners is gradually decreasing, and this traditional industry is facing unprecedented challenges and changes.
Costly
Donkeys, this seemingly rugged animal, actually have extremely high requirements in the breeding process. Unlike horses, cows, and sheep, donkeys are staggeringly picky about their diets.
Not only do you need a careful mix of cereal grass, soybean straw, and peanut seedlings, but you also need to supplement high nutrients such as corn. If they are malnourished, they will only gain strength and bones, and their bodies will not be abundant. However, even with careful care, the donkey's growth rate is unusually slow, which puts a lot of pressure on the farmers.
The high cost of donkey seedlings has also made large-scale farming out of reach. The price of a cub is as high as 4,000 yuan, coupled with the cost of at least 10 square meters of breeding space, labor and feed required for each donkey, so that the investment and risk of donkey breeding should not be underestimated.
The more difficult problem lies in the unique value of donkey skin, as the main raw material of Ejiao, donkey skin has become a valuable resource on the donkey, worth 3,000 yuan each. This leaves donkey owners with a dilemma: where to sell their donkeys, and it is undoubtedly difficult to make a profit by simply selling donkey meat.
The vast majority of companies that produce ejiao already have a steady supply of donkey skins, which are often frowned upon by small-scale farmers. This has led to an awkward situation in which only farms with a scale of three to five hundred heads are likely to attract partners.
At the same time, the high quality and low price of imported donkey skins have further squeezed the local donkey skin market. Although donkey meat has a unique flavor, its consumer group is not wide, and the market demand is limited.
The long and unpredictable cycle of donkey rearing is also a challenge. Taking Shandong Dezhou donkey as an example, it takes nearly a year to go from the initial weight of 200 kg to 280 kg for slaughter. During this long period of growth, various risks emerged one after another, making farmers sigh why not choose animals with a short cycle such as pigs and chickens.
The high cost input and the lack of profit are also a major factor that hinders people from raising donkeys. If the donkey is in good health, it can still be expected to make a profit, and if the donkey suffers from frequent diseases, it may lose all its money. The cost of site construction and shedbuilding in the early stage is huge, which is undoubtedly a heavy burden for an ordinary family.
The low reproduction rate of donkeys is also a problem that cannot be ignored. Female donkeys usually give birth to only one donkey per year, and unsuitable conditions, such as obesity or wasting, may even affect their ability to reproduce. Climate change and feeding management are also affecting donkey reproduction rates to some extent.
In rural areas, livestock are raised mainly to make money. The growth cycle of donkeys is too long, taking three years for a female donkey to mature and four years for a male donkey, and can only give birth to one young donkey at a time, which is in stark contrast to the rapid growth and efficient reproduction of pigs. Therefore, it seems more cost-effective for farmers to raise pigs.
Although donkeys are physically strong and resistant to disease, it does not mean that the breeding process is easy. During the breeding process, donkeys can be injured due to fights between their peers, and farmers need to be vigilant at all times to prevent accidents. Therefore, many farmers will choose to live in a donkey barn to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
The challenges of donkey ownership make it a luxury. Whether it's high costs, narrow market demand, long growth cycles, or low reproductive efficiency, every problem is like an insurmountable chasm, blocking the farmer's path to success.
epilogue
Although the donkey industry may seem profitable on the surface, it is actually full of uncertainties. Factors such as market price fluctuations, breeding costs and risks, and individual capabilities combine to make up the complexity of the donkey breeding industry. Therefore, even though donkey meat and skins are worth a lot of money in the market, many farmers choose to err on the side of caution.