Does donkey milk have market prospects? An economic benefit analysis
When donkey products are mentioned, the first things that come to mind are donkey meat and ejiao (donkey-hide gelatin). Once the veil is lifted on the donkey industry, looking at donkey milk and its development prospects is truly eye-opening.
Research by China Agricultural University and the University of Camerino in Italy has proven that the nutritional composition of donkey milk is the closest to human milk, making it the best substitute for human breast milk. The selenium content in donkey milk is 8 times that of cow milk, the vitamin content is 5 times that of cow milk, and the whey protein content is 50% higher than cow milk. It has good antioxidant and anti-aging effects and boosts human immunity.
Dust-covered memories bear witness to the value of donkey milk. The ancient Roman historian Plutarch once recorded that Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, loved bathing in donkey milk, which made her skin delicate and soft. In some South American countries, people even regard donkey milk as a "panacea." Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty in his book *Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand in Gold* and Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty in his book *Compendium of Materia Medica* both recorded the medicinal value of donkey milk.
In the segmented dairy market, donkey milk can be called a "new darling." Donkey farmers have already begun to taste the sweetness of increased income from donkey milk. Affected by regional market factors, the price of donkey milk varies considerably between the eastern and western regions, but the increase in donkey farmers' income is consistent. Members of the Tianlong Donkey Breeding Cooperative in Liaocheng, Shandong, said they made a "donkey milk fortune" last year. The milk price started at 20 yuan per jin, then rose to 30 yuan. A pregnant donkey can be milked continuously for 6 months during the milking period, producing about 1 kg per day, and the milk from one female donkey can earn more than 5,000 yuan. Because it is a livestock farming cluster area, farmers and herders in some areas of Xinjiang have generally benefited from the donkey milk industry, and breeding bases for the donkey milk industry numbering in the tens of thousands of head are flourishing. Although donkey milk yield is not high, the returns from farming are very high. Based on general sample surveys, farmers in Xinjiang who raise two female donkeys can increase their income by 3,600 yuan per year from donkey milk.
The strong consumer demand for donkey milk is giving rise to leading enterprises in the donkey milk industry, connecting small-scale production with the large market. Xinjiang Dawaqian Livestock Technology Co., Ltd. has established a donkey milk processing plant in Yuepuhu County, Xinjiang, known as the "Home of Chinese Donkeys." In accordance with national standards and requirements for the dairy industry, it has built a sterile workshop and an automated donkey milk production line with a daily fresh milk processing capacity of 10 tons, filling a gap in domestic donkey milk processing and production. Xinjiang Yukunlun Natural Food Engineering Co., Ltd., relying on the Xinjiang Donkey Industry Engineering Technology Center, has completed a cumulative investment of 135 million yuan, building production lines compliant with food production quality management standards for 80 tons per year of freeze-dried donkey milk powder and 500 tons per year of ultra-high-pressure sterilized liquid donkey milk, and has launched a series of donkey milk products. All of this is inspiring to hear.
What is truly done well is what counts. The rise of the donkey milk industry is the result of deepening the segmented dairy market. Donkey milk has already opened another door to the dairy market, and its prospects are promising. But to make the donkey milk industry bigger and stronger, many practical difficulties still lie ahead. First, relative to demand, the national supply of live donkey resources is severely insufficient. Currently, the national donkey herd is about 6 million head; in Liaocheng, Shandong alone, the annual capacity to process donkey hides reaches 4 million pieces, let alone the live animal resources needed for donkey milk production. With such a large market, it is impossible to proceed without substantially increasing the number of donkeys raised. Second, although the donkey milk industry has deep development potential, market promotion is still insufficient. Most people have never even seen donkey milk products, let alone consumed them. Third, there is the issue of quality assurance for donkey milk. In terms of quality, the requirements for donkey milk are no different from those for other milks. Quality issues must be addressed before they arise, because if quality is there, the donkey milk industry is there; if quality is not there, the donkey milk industry is not there.
There is a long process from the discovery of donkey milk's value to its realization. To turn the nutritional value of donkey milk into solid industrial development, tangible income increases for dairy farmers, and healthy consumer spending by residents, much effort is still needed. Only in this way can the donkey milk industry go high and go far.