Buyers at the cattle markets in the capital are returning home happily as the prices are less than their expectation.
On the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, one of the major religious festivals of Muslim community, it is always a big challenge for millions of middle income families to find sacrificial animals within their budgets. Prices at the cattle markets this year, however, have been significantly lower than those of last year’s.
The 20 cattle markets leased by the government for cattle-traders and buyers ahead of eid are flooded with cattle including oxen and goats. A large number of them are imported from India.
“I spent Tk41,000 to buy an ox. It took me Tk65,000 to buy an ox of the same size last year,” said Sajjad Hossain, a buyer at Banani cattle market.
Like him many other buyers were seen coming out of the market smiling with their sacrificial animals in tow.
Shariful Islam, bought four goats for the price of Tk25,000 at the Baridhara cattle market was returning with a smile on his face. He told the Dhaka Tribune that the price of those animals would have been Tk40,000 last year.
However, Reazul Islam, a trader who came from Pabna with his 32 oxen, expressed his frustration over the low prices.
“Most traders will face huge losses unless the prices go up in the next three days,” he said. “If the trend continues and the prices keep falling, I will lose my working capital,” he added.
Outside most of the authorised cattle markets, unauthorised traders were seen on the streets with their animals, selling at a comparatively lower price.
Buyers were happy with the prices of sacrificial animals at the other markets as well. Abdul Jalil, one of the members of the Merul Badda cattle market leasing committee, said the supply of the animals was very good this year. “This has however, reduced the prices drastically,” he said.
Trading of sacrificial animals, cows and goats, has been taking place at 20 different makeshift markets across the city since October 12. It would run up to October 16, the day of festival.
