How rising cost is forcing donkeys into extinction
Every Saturday, traders converge on the Babban-gida Donkey market in Tarmuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State. These traders’, who start arriving the market as early as 6am, engage in the buying and selling of donkeys.
In the market, buyers, predominantly from the South-East troop in with mouth-watering offers to pastoralists and farmers alike to part with the animals.
Investigation by Daily Trust on Sunday showed that the cost of donkeys has continued to soar despite the large number of the animals available at the market.
A 68-year-old middleman, Sale Babba Mai-jaki, who has spent about 50 years arranging donkey deals between buyers and sellers, said he inherited the trade from his grandfather and that in the past, market forces always determined the value of the animal.
“But this season is different. I have never seen a market like this, the donkeys are plenty and in high demand, but the price keeps appreciating. The situation is quite strange and worrisome because many farmers and pastoralists are selling these beasts carelessly.
“When I joined this business in the 70s, the most expensive donkey was N5. Much later, the market appreciated to between N1000 and N2000. But now, a donkey cost between N40,000 and 50,000 in this market,” he said.
He recalled that in the past, people only bought donkeys for Laftu (large scale haulage of goods), being the most reliable beast of burden. But nowadays, many have resorted to consuming the animal, just as the skin is exported to China for antiageing medicines.
Worried by the large quantity of donkeys sold on a weekly basis, he hoped that the farmers and pastoralists would not regret their actions.
“You see, all these donkeys are transported out of the state without replacement. Over 200 donkeys are sold in this market weekly. Before, our people were not eating the animal. Infact, only a few people ate the animal in the past. But recently, I learnt that our people were eating donkey meat in Gombe. They process the meat in form of Banda (dry meat) and sell it to their clients.
“Though the traders have found a new source of livelihood, how do we tackle the issue of animal extinction? It is a serious issue that must be looked into. We may not realize the danger in selling off the donkeys now, because many pastoralists have returned to the North from the South, with many donkeys. But, it would tell on the farmers immediately the rainy season sets in,” he said.
The chairman of Babban-gida Donkey market, Malam Adamu Jere, said he had been in the business for almost 30 years, but noted that the increase in the price is unprecedented. He said donkeys are plenty in the market, but their price is unimaginably high.
“In the past, the few of us who were into donkey trading faced discrimination, but now, hundreds of people have joined the trade. We haven’t had a year like this, where donkeys are being sold at very high rates. My fear, however, is what would happen if the animals go into extinction”, he said.
He lamented that nothing was being done to save the animals from extinction, adding “most of these people selling their donkeys are using the money they get from the transaction to buy foodstuff from the nearby grains markets. This means that they were pushed to sell the animals just to feed, and not for any reason”.
Investigation also revealed that donkey is in high demand in all the livestock markets across the state.
One Hassan Jalo told our correspondent that he travels in company of his friends to villages in Yobe, Borno and neighbouring Niger Republic to buy the animal at cheaper rates.
“We trek a long distance in the desert to get these donkeys. It’s a risky, especially travelling to areas that are suspected to be harbouring insurgents, but the business is paying well and we cannot resist it.
“We visit villages in Yunusari, Gaidam, Machina and neighbouring Niger Republic, though there is a ban on donkey trade in Niger, we go there because they are cheaper there. With N100,000 one can get seven or eight donkeys, and we can sell each of them at N35,000”, he said.
Jalo said the price of donkeys vary according to skin colour. “For instance, Chilo and Aura have very beautiful skin colours and design, that is why they are expensive. It usually cost us N10,000 to N15,000 to get them from the villagers and we sell them at N40,000. But Jaba and Duna have less attractive colours, so they are cheaper,” he added.
Leader of the Igbo donkey merchants, Mr. Bassey Okoli, decried the skyrocketing price of the animal in Babban-gida market. He said the situation forced them to visit a village market in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, but that they were chased away by gunshots.
“We were able to get donkeys at very cheap rates in the market. Though there was no means of transportation, we started buying them. Suddenly, there were gunshots and everybody dispersed. Actually, we were very frightened,” he said.
Okoli, who said he was introduced to the business one year ago, said he mainly buys donkeys for their skins.
“The skin is being sold to Chinese businessmen in Lagos, and the meat to butchers in Gombe and other parts of the country.
“Initially, we used to transport the donkeys to Lagos, where butchers slaughter them and buy the meat, after which we took the skin to a Chinese company. But now we have found some butchers in Gombe, who pay good price for the meat. This way, we also save transportation cost,” he said.
He however lamented that the rising cost of donkeys had its negative effect, as his Chinese customers were not ready to part with extra money.
“When I called them, they said they could only spend N18000 on one skin and the meat buyers cannot augment the cost, so we are working to see how the middlemen can reduce the price for everyone to transact within a profit margin,” he said.
The Head of Animals Health, Yobe Livestock Development Programme (YLDP), Dr. idris Y, Madaki, said the rate at which donkeys were being sold in the state was threatening their existence.
“Veterinary point of view, we are against it. We discussed that extensively at our national council meeting; to restrict the sale of the animal but those from the South-East and South-South disagreed, arguing that their culture allows them to eat donkey.
“We want the government to enact a law regulating the sale of donkey in the North. Yobe has inherited the “Beasts of Burden Act” from Borno State, which prohibits trading of donkeys and horses in the state. We should implement it,” he said.
He said globalization was facilitating animals’ movement and advised states in the North-East to quickly implement the law before North-Western states consider it.
“If they implement the law and all these traders shift their base here, we will face serious problem,” he said.
Madaki also advised the state government to invest in the animal breeding and also encourage individual farmers to do same.
“The beast has high rate of disease resistance but low productivity because of its long gestation period. So, food is very important in their fecundity. If they don’t eat well, they will not conceive”, he added.