Buyer protection
Contents
The official breed sheet of the Emilia-Romagna region lists 1,152 registered Asino Romagnolo donkeys on 350 farms and identifies milk production as a new use alongside carrying, pulling, and mule breeding.
We report what the source states and provide a critical assessment. Donkey milk is a food.
The source in brief
- Author: Regione Emilia-Romagna (Regional register of genetic resources under Regional Law L.R. 1/2008)
- Work: Technical sheet for registration in the register: Asino Romagnolo RER A020 (Revised), Annex 10, Official Bulletin of the Emilia-Romagna Region No. 381 of 13 December 2024 (Part Two)
- Sections: "Farms", "Historical overview", "Typical production area" and "Productive characteristics"; "Breeding techniques" survey form
- Time and place: 2024 (2023 revision) · Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Type of source: Breed register (regional)
Verbatim
Oltre ai tradizionali impieghi, un nuovo proficuo utilizzo è rappresentato dalla produzione di latte.
In addition to traditional uses, milk production represents a new, profitable use.
Italian, Asino Romagnolo technical sheet, "Productive characteristics"
Un grande allevamento di asini che segue questo particolare indirizzo produttivo è presente sulle prime colline di Reggio Emilia.
In the first hills near Reggio Emilia, there is a large donkey farm with this particular production focus.
Italian, Asino Romagnolo technical sheet, "Productive characteristics"
German translation: free, faithful translation by the DON DONKEY'S editorial team.
Background
Under Regional Law No. 1/2008, the Emilia-Romagna region maintains a voluntary register of local animal breeds and plant varieties of agricultural interest. Each breed has a technical data sheet; the sheet for the Asino Romagnolo (code RER A020) was revised in 2023 and published in the regional official bulletin in December 2024.
The Asino Romagnolo, also known as the Asino di Sant’Alberto, was added to the register in 2010 (Determination No. 14799 of 20 December 2010). A ministerial decree of 16 February 2006 added it to the national register of equids of local origin. The breed studbook is now maintained by the ANAREAI association.
What the source reports
Under "Productive characteristics", the sheet describes traditional uses and notes that milk production represents a new use. A large farm with this focus is located in the hills near Reggio Emilia.
In the standardized survey form on husbandry, machine milking is ticked alongside pasture and barn-based rearing and natural reproduction.
The sheet lists 350 farms and 1,152 registered animals, of which 839 are in Emilia-Romagna (including 298 in the province of Reggio Emilia and 251 in Forlì-Cesena). The breed is considered threatened but is maintained in conservation programs.
Figures and facts
- 1,152 – registered animals of the breed
- 350 – farms with Asino Romagnolo
- 839 – animals in Emilia-Romagna
- 76 – animals at the first survey after 2000
- 2006 – added to the national register (DM No. 20461)
- 130–145 cm – withers height of mares at 30 months
Critical assessment
- Type of source: Official breed sheet from an Italian region, published in the regional official bulletin. It is intended for the conservation of genetic resources, not for product description.
- Statement on milk: Milk is only briefly mentioned as a new use; the sheet does not state quantities or composition.
- Assessment: The document shows that milk production can also play an economic role for conservation breeds in Italy.
Our assessment
We are including the breed sheet because it officially states that an endangered donkey breed is now also used for milk production. It does not say anything about the milk itself.
Original quotes, all facts and the full assessment: Asino Romagnolo: Milk as a new use. Further sources and studies in the research archive.
Evidence: Official Bulletin of the Region (BUR No. 381/2024, Annex 10, PDF); Breed sheet on the regional agricultural portal (2023 revision, PDF) · Summarised by the DON DONKEY'S editorial team, as of November 2026.
End of source summary. The source does not refer to DON DONKEY'S® or our products. Our donkey milk is a food.
