The prices of sacrificial animals have increased by almost 20 percent compared to last year, revealed a survey conducted by Business Recorder on Tuesday. Animal traders are demanding Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 for a normal size goat, Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 for a sheep, Rs 90,000 to Rs 100,000 for a cow/bull, which as compared to past year's rates are almost 20 percent high. It was observed that a big cow/bull is selling at Rs 130,000 to Rs 150,000, which last year was sold at Rs 120,000 per cattle head.
Purchasing a sacrificial animal mostly depends on the bargaining expertise of a buyer as a buyer can purchase a normal size goat at Rs 25,000 to 30,000 while animal of the same weight is sold at Rs 35,000 by traders, said Rubnawaz Khan, an animal trader at sector I-12/2 cattle market.
The normal size cow/bull priced at Rs 90,000 one can buy the animal in the range of Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000, which in 2014 was available at Rs 60-65,000, Rubnawaz said.
Traders said that last year an estimated 6 million animals were sacrificed on Eid-ul-Azha and this year the number may reach to 6.5 million. Eid-ul-Azha provides raw material to leather industry of the country and last year hides worth Rs 13 billion were supplied to the leather industry.
Traders gave following reasons for increase in sacrificial animals' prices: (i) the government of Punjab clamped ban on slaughtering a she cattle (ii) loss of cattle in floods and (iii) smuggling of animals to Afghanistan with increase in fodder rates and other costs of keeping cattle.
People at temporarily set animal market in I-11 and I-12/2 sectors of Islamabad said that majority of the Islamabadiites are salaried class and due to high prices of the sacrificial animals they find it hard to buy the one.
A large number of people were seen in I/12-2 cattle market bargaining with traders/dealers to get animals at reduced prices.
Buyers talking to Business Recorder said prices of sacrificial animals have gone out of common man's reach. These animals mostly come to capital markets from various districts of the Punjab including Sargodha, Mianwali, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Rajan Pur, Multan, Bahawalnagar and Mandi Bahauddin.
Shabbir Hussain, a trader said there was a shortage of the sacrificial animals in markets and high prices were keeping the people away from purchasing the animal.
A customer, Waseem Khan said the prices of goats and sheep have also witnessed a sharp increase by up to 20 percent. "The average price of goat is over 30,000 against Rs 25,000 last years that is out of reach of a common man," he added.
Shahid Khan, a customer from Sang Jani said that he started haggling with the retailer for buying a goat. The seller after 25 minutes of rigorous bargaining, offered his lowest price of Rs 35, 000 for a normal size goat, he added.
The survey observed that the price of a healthy goat would not be less than Rs 30,000. Last year the price of a goat ranged from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 and a heifer was sold for Rs 30,000 to 35,000.
Following Islamabad High Court (IHC) directives the civic body (CDA) started efforts to relocate the illegal animal market set in sector I-11 to sector I-12/2 but due to the protest of animal traders CDA management failed to shift to the new site.
The CDA staff and Islamabad capital Police on Tuesday cordoned off the illegal animal market set up at sector I-11 but still remained unable to force the traders to move to the prescribed site.
According to CDA spokesperson, the civic body is not allowing entry of additional traders in I-11 sector and they are directed to set up their stalls in new market at I-12/2 as a result the large number of animal traders and buyers are visiting the new site instead of the illegal market.