Thousands of the citizens are disappointed due to the 80 percent increase in the prices of bulls, goats and camels this year as compared to their prices last year while visiting the world's largest temporary cattle market known as Mawaishi Mandi.
The traders of sacrificial animals confirmed the surge in the prices, however, opined that they have been increased due to hike in animal fodder, heavy transportation cost, increased rent for acquisition of a small space to stock animals and such other expenses.
A visit to the cattle market located near Gulshan-e-Maymar on Super Highway revealed that the market has so far accommodated about 13,000 bulls mainly from Punjab and Sindh and 30,000 goats from Sindh alone. Another reason for increase in the prices is cited behind the shortage of sacrificial animals.
Thousands of Karachiites, who visit the market on a regular basis to purchase animal to perform holy rituals, are seen disappointed due to very high prices that would further increase in coming days.
Traders of the country particularly from Naushehro Feroz, Benazirabad (Nawabshah), Tharparkar, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Khairpur and Sanghar district of Sindh, Multan, Cholistan and Sahiwal areas of Punjab and Sibi, Balochistan bring their animals including goats, cows and camels every year in the cattle market that is spread over 650 acres of land in Gulshan-e-Maymar on Superhighway.
Interestingly, the administration of cattle market has allotted separate areas for the wealthy traders at the entrance of the market and the prices of animals are starting from Rs 200, 000 up to Rs 600, 000. The healthy bulls of Punjab and goats of district Naushehro Feroz are attracting attention of the buyers. "Presently, the price of average sacrificial bull is around Rs 55,000 which last year would have cost between Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000", Abdul Ghani Solangi, who has brought around 18 bulls from Naushehro Feroz told Business Recorder.
He said that the authorities of the cattle market charged them Rs 14,000 for a small piece of land besides he paid transportation charges of 20,000 for bringing animals in the market. Prices of everything have surged with the passage of time and the small traders of animals are being charged heavily by the market administration, he said.
"Besides this, we paid Rs 700 as entry fee for each animal and paying Rs 200 daily as electricity charges to the cattle market administration. Knowing that water is imperative for the traders, as each animal drinks around 22 liters of water daily, the administration is selling contaminated water at Rs 20 per 10-liter gallon. It is pertinent to mention that provision of water was absolutely free till last year.
White and black bulls of Sahiwal and Cholistan are the main center of visitors, however, citizens look for the exit after hearing the hefty price", he added. There is a shortage of sacrificial animals in the cattle market as the traders transported their animals to Lahore market, adding that number of genuine buyers have also been remarkably reduced due to inflation, Ghani said.
Another trader of Sahiwal, Abdul Rehman, complained that the wealthy traders are selling sacrificial animals at very high rates after purchasing animals from them at lower rates due to which the customers were facing problems in purchasing animals.
He said the prices of goats have been doubled this year as compared to previous years, adding that an average goat costs Rs 25,000 and goes up till Rs 500,000. He said that the market authorities had set up the goat stall adjacent to the bull portion, which was shifted to the other location last night causing traders to pay extra transportation charges.
Mohammad Pariyal Joyo, camel trader of district Tharparkar, also complained that the market authorities charged them heavily but they were yet to be provided with covered area. We are here in the market since last couple of days but the turn out of people towards camel is very low, he added.
The prices of sacrificial camel has also been increased by 70 to 80 percent due to which the customers seem reluctant to purchase camel, he said and added that he would prefer to take back all the camels if failed to sell them on increased rates till next Friday.
Last year, we did not pay a single penny for drinking water, however, this time market authorities had informed us that we could purchase the on payment of Rs 20 per 10liter gallon as the contract for provision of water had been awarded to a private party, he angrily said.
This time the administration has informed the vendors that the water contract has been given to a private company and that they should buy water cans. "I am very disappointed that the holy obligation of sacrificing animals on Eidul Azha has become a fashion in the city while the vendors are charging heavy prices from the poor citizens", a customer Mohammad Adeel said.
He said that he had paid Rs 60 as parking fees to the guards of the private contractors of the cattle market for visiting the market, adding that the prices of sacrificial animals have gone out of the reach of middle class. A salaried person can not even afford a goat at a minimum cost of Rs 25,000, he added.
Adeel also criticised the administration for dividing the cattle market into two portions ie one for the rich people and another for the middle class. Another confused customer Syed Aamir Gillani and Mohammad Abbas also complained about the attitude of security guards deployed at the entrance of the cattle market. "I am visiting the market continuously since the last three days to find a suitable and cheap sacrificial animal in the range of Rs 30,000 but all in vain as I could not find any . This year, I fear that I would not sacrifice an animal as I could not spend huge sums of money in this inflation", he added.
"There is a shortage of sacrificial animal in the world's largest temporary cattle market as vendors are taking the animals to Lahore, Punjab. The rates of animals are also high", administrator of the cattle market Shahabuddin told Business Recorder. A target of bringing at least 2 lac goats and 2 lac bulls is set by the market administration however a total of 130,000 bulls and only 30,000 goats have so far been brought into the market, he added.
He said that market administration had allotted more than 200 exhibition blocks measuring 100X35 to the traders on a payment of Rs 60,000. However, he said the traders had divided the space and allotted to the small vendors at their own. The prices of sacrificial animals depend on bargaining power of a customer, the administrator said and added that they had taken foolproof measures to facilitate buyers.
ATM facility of different banks is available in the market besides other facilities such as food centres, roadside hotels, mosques, pan cabins etc. Shahabuddin hoped that the purchasing of sacrificial animals would gain momentum after Friday prayers, which would continue till the first day of Eidul Azha.