The exorbitant prices of sacrificial animals at the Superhighway cattle market during this Ediul Azha season – almost 70 percent higher than what they were last year – are discouraging many people, who might have to spend the festival this time without fulfilling the religious obligation of qurbani.
The animal traders at the market attribute various factors to the skyrocketing prices of animals this year including shortage of sacrificial animals, price hike of fodder, rising transportation cost and increased rent for acquisition of space to stock animals.
Traders from across the country, particularly from Naushehro Feroze, Benazirabad (formerly Nawabshah), Tharparkar, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Khairpur and Sanghar districts of Sindh; Multan, Cholistan and Sahiwal areas of Punjab and Sibi of Balochistan, bring their animals to the cattle market every year.
This time, there are about 12,000 bulls from Punjab and 28,000 goats from Sindh at the world’s largest temporary cattle market along the Superhighway, spread over an area of 650 acres.
The administration of the cattle market has allotted separate areas for rich traders near the entry point. The prices of animals range between Rs 60, 000 and Rs 200,000.
“Presently, the price of an average bull is around Rs 55,000. Last year it could be bought for around Rs 35,000,” said Mashooq Solangi, a trader who has brought 35 bulls from Naushehro Feroze.
He said that the administration has charged him Rs 15,000 for a small space and he has also paid Rs 25,000 for transporting his animals to the market.
“Besides, we also pay Rs 700 as entry fee for each animal and Rs 200 daily as electricity charges to the administration. The contaminated water being sold to us costs Rs 30 per 10 litres and each animal consumes around 22 litres daily,” he added. “The white and black bulls from Sahiwal and Cholistan are the main attraction for buyers, however many of them return without purchasing any animal after they find out that the prices are unaffordable for them.”
Solangi also said that there is a shortage of animals in the market as traders have transported their animals to the market in Lahore. “The number of genuine buyers has also reduced remarkably due to inflation,” rued Solangi.
A trader from Cholistan, Muneeb Rehman, complained that rich traders purchase animals from them at cheap rates and then sell them at higher prices, causing problems for customers.
“The prices of goats have doubled this year. They range between Rs 25,000 and Rs 700,000,” he added.
Saindad Khaskheli, a trader from Tharparkar district, said that the prices of camels have also increased by up to 80 percent, reducing the buyers’ interest. “I will prefer taking back my camels if I fail to sell them at the prices I want,” he added.
Abdul Sattar Bhatti, a buyer at the market, expressed his disappointment that animal traders are using a religious occasion to mint money.
“People from the middle-class can no longer afford a sacrificial animal, not even a goat that costs at least Rs 25,000,” he added.
