Purchase Of Sacrificial Animals Begins In Markets

As the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha is just three weeks away, the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals has started gaining momentum in the provincial capital.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Aug, 2018 ) :As the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Azha is just three weeks away, the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals has started gaining momentum in the provincial capital.

Cattle markets are being established around the city and people have started visiting the places. However, mostly they return empty handed owing to demands of high prices on the part of the animal sellers.

It has been observed that majority of sellers of sacrificial animals demand very high rates, as no price regulatory mechanism has been introduced by the city government.

On an average, over 400,000 sacrificial animals are slaughtered in the city on every Eid-ul-Azha and out of the total number of sacrificial animals, around 250,000 are small animals i.e. goats and sheep and the rest are big animals, like cows, calves, camels, etc, said an official of the City government.

Survey of different sale points revealed that the price of a normal-size goat ranges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 60,000, a lamb/sheep from Rs 25,000 to Rs 55,000 and a cow/calf from Rs 55,000 to Rs 120,000 in most city markets. The survey shows that prices of sacrificial animals are higher this year due to hike in Dollar price.

The sellers of sacrificial animals said that increase in cost of transportation of animals as well as raise in price of animal fodder forced them to increase the prices of their animals.

Kabir Khan, a seller said that rise in transportation charges, cost of animal breeding and feed as well as bribe and taxes at various points led to the increase in the animal prices.

Naseer Ahmad, another seller from South Punjab, said that the price of green fodder has gone up by 50 per cent this year, while the fare of a truck coming from South Punjab to Lahore had also increased by 100 per cent. "I am worried how come I would be able to sell my animals in loss," he said.

Majority of the customers visiting animal sale points said the government should control the prices, but it leaves the general public at the mercy of the sellers who demand very high prices of sacrificial animals.

Yasir Mehmood, a resident of Shadman, said that prices of animals have increased but there was no increase in the income, adding that the people with modest incomes are facing the real dilemma as they wanted to buy an animal to fulfil their religious obligation but could not afford it.

However, most of the citizens believed that high prices of sacrificial animals may decrease in the coming days because the sellers will not want to take back their animals. One Ashraf Ali said that presently the sellers are demanding high prices, especially of goats but they would have to reduce the prices.

Majority of citizens have demanded the government to enforcea price mechanism so that they can purchase sacrificial animals on reasonable rates.