Sacrificial Animals Start Pouring In From Punjab To KP Ahead Of Eid-ul-Azha

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jun, 2023 ) :As only five days left in Eid-ul-Azha celebrations, the sacrificial animals has started pouring in from the Punjab province to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), here on Friday.

All the main and small cattle markets in Peshawar including Lala Kalay, Ring Road, Hayatabad and Bakhshu bridge are loaded with sacrificial animals mostly transported from Sahiwal, Lala Musa, Lahore, Attock, Rawalpindi, DG Khan, Jehlum and Bhakkar districts of Punjab.

"I have brought 12 load trucks of sacrificial animals from Punjab to meet the pressing demands of the people on upcoming Eid," said Ibrahim Khan, an inter-provincial cattle dealer while talking to APP.

He said, "The prices of large sacrificial animals including oxen, buffaloes, camels and cows were relatively reasonable compared to small animals such as goats and sheep in the local market." "The prices of small animals including goats and sheep are very high because of the last year's devastating floods," he added.

A buyer of the local cattle market at Pabbi Bazaar, Riazul Haq said, "I came from my hometown Mohib Banda to Pabbi cattle market in the morning with the hope to buy a goat or a sheep at a reasonable price but its prices were sky high, and the performance of 'Qurbani' is merely a dream for many government employees this year.

Riaz said that he spent almost an entire day buying a suitable sacrificial animal at Peshawar and Nowshera cattle markets at reasonable prices but in vain.

The former teacher said that he would now visit Peshawar on Sunday with the hope that prices of the animals would become down and be able to purchase his choice animal at an affordable price.

"Definitely, I will go for collective Qurbani with my family members if prices of goat or sheep did not come down by Tuesday evening," said Qaiser Khan, a retired PESCO employee at Lala Kala Market while talking to APP.

Besides skyrocketing prices, he said, "Poor sanitation, waste management, and heat stroke fear have added to the difficulties of buyers." Many government officials and pensioners were being seen at cattle markets of Lala Kala, Ring Road, Hazar Khwani, Hayatabad, and Charsadda Road in Peshawar, Amangarh, Akora Khattak, Risalpur and Pabbi Nowshera district with an abundance of sacrificial animals on upcoming Eidul Azha.

During a market survey conducted by APP on Friday afternoon, it was found in different cattle markets that the visitors especially government employees were more in number than buyers as most of them came to the markets to have an idea about the prices, however, traders were expecting that the sale of cattle would reach to its peak as Eid ul Azha approaches nearer and all their stock would be sold out as per their price demand.

"Since last Thursday, I have sold only 15 oxen out of 50 available with me. The buyers mostly government employees come to cattle markets to take an idea about the prices and then most of them return empty hands due to scorching heat," said Dilfarshah Khan, an inter provincial cattle trader of Nowshera.

"I have brought 15 trucks having five buffaloes and oxen from Punjab to Nowshera and Peshawar and only 20 animals were sold so far due to price hike and inflation," said Khan.

He said, "Increase of transportation and fodder charges have increased prices of sacrificial animals this year." "The dealers suffer great economic losses in case death of an animal due to heatstroke or lumpy skin disease," he added.

Apart from domestic traders of KP and Punjab, inter-provincial businessmen of Sindh and Blochistan have also brought their stocks to Peshawar from where sacrificial animals were being transported to the seven merged tribal districts and possibly to Afghanistan for high profits.

"I have so far brought 20 trucks of cattle from Sahiwal and my brother were sending five more trucks to Peshawar that would reach here by Sunday night," Sohail Sardar, an inter-provincial exporter of Nowshera said.

Refused an offer of Rs 300,000 for his ox ' Sona' last Thursday, he said that any offer less than Rs 350,000 would not be accepted.

Director of Livestock and Dairy Development in KP Dr Aftab Ahmad told APP that hundreds of thousands of cattle were being sacrificed in KP on occasion of Eid ul Azha.

He said, "KP have no viable choice but to import cattle from Punjab to ensure availability of sacrificial animals on reasonable rates to the people, adding that around 70 to 80 percent cattle are being brought form Punjab." The tripartite-export agreement between Pakistan, India and Afghanistan would immensely help meet people requirements of beef, milk and sacrificial animals.

"The transportation of sacrificial animals to Afghanistan are major reason behind hike of sacrificial animals prices in KP that needed to be regulated." He said that several checkpoints were established with the assistance of provincial government at various places on highways connecting KP with merged areas to control the menace of cattle smuggling.

Livestock department official said, "Fumigation spray at cattle markets are being conducted to counter animals diseases in the province." The department had deployed teams in different cattle markets for monitoring of animals and for spraying of insecticides.

Dr Aftab Ahmad urged the cattle owners to ensure cleanliness and use mosquito repellent besides cold shelters as safety measure for protection of animals from disease and heat.

In case of illness of any animal, he urged people to isolate it and inform Livestock officials for forthwith for its treatment.

Dr Aftab said the DVM doctors were assigned tasks to visit cattle markets and ensure that animals with symptoms of lumpy skin disease may be isolated and treated on the spot.