Due to the ongoing pandemic, going to cattle markets poses a huge health risk. To avoid that, people are opting for online services that slaughter the cattle and deliver the meat to your doorstep.
It is very difficult and risky for Imranul Kabir (pseudonym), a doctor at a private hospital, to ensure hygiene and health safety, in slaughtering a sacrificial cow for Eid-ul-Azha, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Every year, Kabir who lives in Mohammadpur of the capital, hires people to slaughter the sacrificial animal.
This year he does not dare to do the same, fearing Covid-19 contamination since those people are not tested for Covid or known to him.
Since he wants to sacrifice a cow, he sought the services of an online platform, which will buy the cow, slaughter it on his behalf, and deliver the meat after processing.
At present, a number of e-commerce sites and meat processing companies are selling sacrificial cattle online and offering home delivery, in Dhaka, Chittagong, and other divisional cities also.
Like Kabir, a few hundred people are taking the full package of services from various online platforms.
How the online platforms work
Bengal Meat, a processed meat seller, has Bengal Meat Qurbani, an online platform offering an online marketplace to buy cows, and a full Qurbani package.
Under the Qurbani Full Service, the platform is offering slaughtering and meat processing services.
“Taking the services, a client will get his meat processed from the Halal slaughter facility, in food graded packaging with delivery service, all the while maintaining the cold chain,” Mohammad Hares, project leader of Qurbani 2020 of Bengal Meat, told Dhaka Tribune.
This package has received an overwhelming response due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as people are more cautious about health safety and hygiene, said Hares.
He added: “On our online platform, we put about 500 cows reared under supervision of our own veterinary doctor, which were booked just within two to three days.”
“Later, we procured another 500, which are very close to being sold out and a large number of orders are for Qurbani Full Service.”
Madol, another online platform focusing on organic food, also offered a similar package, which also got a good response.
“For the first time, Madol has introduced a service where we will slaughter the cow on behalf of clients. It will be packed and sent to the client’s address,” Mehedi Masud, chief marketing officer of Madol, told Dhaka Tribune.
The Madol service is for Dhaka city only and the platform has already sold all of its 24 cows. Of the 24 cows, six will be delivered alive and 18 will be delivered after slaughtering and packing.
The service is aimed at providing a cushion to clients against the health risk posed by the pandemic and a 10% service charge will be applicable based on the price of a sacrificial animal, he added.
Overall situation in the country
Buying sacrificial animals from online platforms, especially in big cities, is sharply rising.
People are unwilling to visit physical markets due to the health risks posed and the lack of space for keeping cows.
Keeping the coronavirus pandemic in mind, the government has also launched an online digital haat to sell and buy sacrificial animals for Eid-ul Azha..
As of Monday, 53 companies registered with the platform.
This year, according to the E-commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB), over 100 e-commerce platforms are selling sacrificial cows.
“There was always a cheerful mood among city dwellers before Eid-ul-Azha. They would usually visit cattle markets and buy animals to sacrifice. It was a celebration,” Mohammad Shah Emran, general secretary of Bangladesh Dairy Farmers’ Association (BDFA) told Dhaka Tribune
However, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the cattle market landscape, prompting people to buy a live sacrificial animal online and get it delivered just a day earlier, or right on Eid day, said the business leader.
This year, though sales are less than in previous years, online sales peaked sharply as people prefer it because of health safety issues, he added.
