Live Stock Department in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plans to develop donkey farms with an aim to boost country's exports.

Officials said work at two donkey farms was likely to kick off at two places in Dera Ismail Khan and Mansehra with foreign partnership.

They said though Chinese companies have shown interest in donkey farming in Pakistan, the government would want to sign an agreement with a company that is associated with the Chinese government.

The officials said foreign companies were ready to make $3 billion dollar investment in the commercial farming of donkeys.

"We want to sign an agreement after thinking carefully because we do not want scarcity of the animals in Khyber Paktunkhwa," an official was quoted by Geo TV as saying.

During the first three years, the government plans to export as many as 80000 donkeys to China.

In the first phase, sick and handicapped animals would be exported from KP where 70,000 people use donkeys as working animal.

The authorities said there is a huge demand of donkeys in China where the animal is used for meat and its hide for medicine, make up and furniture.