The trading of sacrificial animals is picking up momentum in city as Eidul Azha is approaching fast. The businessmen of Punjab and Sindh provinces besides domestic traders have also brought their animals in large number to the lucrative market of Peshawar, which attracts buyers not only from The NWFP and FATA but also from neighbouring Afghanistan.
During a market survey conduced by this scribe on Sunday, it was found in different cattle markets that the visitors were more in number than buyers as most of them came to the markets to have an idea about the prices, however traders are expecting that the sale of cattle will speed up as Eid is becoming more closer. "Since last Friday, I have only sold 12 goats out of 50 available with me in Pachagai cattle market. Buyers mostly comes to markets to take an idea about the prices and then return empty hands," said Khurshid Khan, a cattle trader in Pachagai road.
Only six days ahead of Eidul Azha, sacrificial animals have started pouring into local markets but the prices are very high.
"I will buy sheep in last days of Eid with a hope that the prices may go down," Qaiser Khan, a buyer said when asked at Lala Kalli cattle market near Peshawar.
Apart from domestic traders, inter-provincial businessmen dealing in cattle heads are bringing their stocks to Peshawar to get high prices in the wake of Eidul Azha.
"I have so far brought three trucks of cattle each from Sahiwal and my brother will send five more trucks shortly to Peshawar," Muhammad Ali, an inter-provincial exporter of Punjab said. "I refused an offer of Rs 60,000 for my ox 'Tandar Jutt' last Friday as I was demanding Rs 80,000 for it," he added.
An official of Livestock and Dairy Development told APP that around 60,000 to 80,000 cattle are being sacrificed only in the NWFP on occasion of Eidul Azha.
"We have no choice but to import cattle from the Punjab to ensure availability of sacrificial animals on reasonable rates to people," he said, adding around 70 to 75 percent cattle are being brought form Punjab to parts of NWFP to bring the prices in check. There is a need for tripartite-export agreement between Pakistan, India and Afghanistan to meet people requirements of beef, milk and sacrificial animals, the official of livestock department suggested.
Several checkpoints with the assistance of provincial government have been established at various places on highways connecting the NWFP with FATA to control the menace of cattle smuggling, he added. He said that strict action would be taken against cattle smugglers.
The NWFP Livestock Department has established different task forces comprising various stakeholders to formulate proposals and recommendations to get self-sufficiency in livestock sector to meet the meat requirements of people. He stressed the need for introduction of public-private partnership, strict implementation of laws and controlling of cattle smuggling to control the prices of livestock.