China offers farmers money to quit breeding exotic animals and wildlife trade

While China’s ‘wet markets’ are suspected to be the origin of coronavirus outbreak, farmers in China are now being offered cash to quit breeding exotic animals. According to an international media outlet, the pressure on the Chinese markets has been growing to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade and in an attempt to curb the practice the authorities, for the first time, pledged to buy out breeders. 

As per reports, in recent months, China has already banned the sale of wild animals for food as authorities have cited the risk of the disease spreading to humans. Several countries also believe that the deadly virus passed from bats to people before spreading worldwide. In a bid to stop the breeding, two central provinces have reportedly outlined a buyout programme to help farmers transition to alternative livelihoods. 

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As per reports, Hunan set out a compensation scheme to persuade breeders to rear other livestock or produce tea and herbal medicines. Authorities are reportedly also offering to pay $16 per kilogram of cobra king rattlesnake to rat snake, while a kilogram of the bamboo rat will fetch $11. A civet cat, on the other, which is believed to have carried SARS is worth $85. 

Several neighbouring provinces, including Jiangxi province, has also reportedly released documents soon plans to help farmers dispose of animals and financial aid. A Chinese local media outlet further reported that the Jiangxi province has more than 2,300 licensed breeders, who are mostly rearing wild animals for food. Moreover, it was also reported that their animals are worth $225 million. 

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‘Right direction’ 

While speaking to an international media outlet, animal rights group Humane Society International (HSI) said that Hunan and Jiangxi are ‘major wildlife breeding provinces’ as they have been seeing a rapid expansion of the trade over the last decade. HSI China policy specialist Peter Li also reportedly said that with the authorities offering cash to quit breeding, China is moving in the right direction. Peter added that in the past 20 years, a lot of people have been telling the Chinese government to buy out certain wildlife breeding operations, however, this is the first time that the government actually decided to do it.

(Image: ANI)

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