Donkey milk a hit in Albania

PAPER, Albania－On a small farm south of Tirana, donkeys happily munch on hay while customers flock to scoop up bottles of their milk, a niche product winning fans who believe in its health benefits.

Touted as rich in vitamins and a boost for the immune system, the high-priced milk has been flying off the shelf during the coronavirus pandemic.

"The demand for donkey milk is rising sharply" alongside virus infections, says 37-year-old Elton Kikia, the manager of the small farm in the village of Paper, where around a dozen of the small, knobbly-kneed animals romp around a green pasture.

The high demand is good news for the donkeys themselves, whose comfortable lifestyle on the farm is a welcome respite from their traditional role as beasts of burden.

"Yet it is a very delicate animal, which to produce its milk needs tenderness and love," says Kikia.

Two years ago, he left his job as a journalist to take over the family farm, one of two in the country to raise donkeys for their milk.

At 50 euros ($61) a liter, the price of their milk is exorbitant in a country where the average wage barely reaches 400 euros a month.

But fears around COVID-19 have set off a flurry of interest.

While no one is branding the milk as a cure for the virus, aficionados are convinced its nutritional profile－which is close to human milk－helps strengthen the body's natural defenses.

Klea Ymeri, a student in environmental engineering, recently traveled to Paper to buy two 250 milliliter bottles to help her parents recover from COVID-19.

"On top of the medicines they are taking, donkey's milk could be a good natural remedy for the respiratory system," she said.

The family also uses some of the milk to make soaps, masks and other beauty products.

The farm currently has four pregnant donkeys and four milk-producing mothers, each with a calf.

With a maximum production of three liters a day, "we can't meet the demand," Kikia said, adding he plans to expand his herd to 100 donkeys.

Agencies via Xinhua