Key players in Ghana’s agricultural sector are urging the government to take swift action to ban the illegal trade in donkey hides.
They warn that if the current rate of donkey slaughter continues unchecked, the species could face extinction—an outcome they insist must be prevented at all costs.
According to the stakeholders, the illicit trade is largely driven by some Chinese nationals operating in Ghana’s northern regions, who, with the support of local collaborators, slaughter donkeys for their hides.
These hides are then processed and exported to China for commercial purposes.
One of the leading voices in the campaign is Professor Roger Kanton, an agricultural research scientist and leader of the Fight Against Donkey Extinction Project Team, Ghana.
Speaking during an engagement with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Cocoa Affairs, Prof. Kanton emphasized the urgent need for government intervention.
He noted that both the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have already outlawed the trade in donkey hides.
However, the practice remains widespread in countries like Ghana and Nigeria.
“The ECOWAS veterinary doctors met in Abuja and issued a communiqué. That was actually the first formal document we received—our Chief Director from Ghana participated in that meeting, and it gave us legal grounds to act.”
“Later, a publication from Dakar further affirmed that ECOWAS member states had agreed that unless this trade is banned, donkeys could become extinct. We used these documents to raise public awareness, and eventually, the AU also issued a similar directive,” Prof. Kanton explained.