Owing to high prices of sacrificial animals in the provincial capital’s main market Bakr Mandi people opt for collective sacrifice on Eid ul Azha. According to a survey, a majority of people may not be able to sacrifice animals individually on Eid ul Azha as rates have increased by 50 to 80 per cent in two years.
“After floods in Sindh in the last few years, which is a hub of production of animals, there is a shortage of hundreds of thousands of animals in the country, due to which their rates have skyrocketed,” livestock traders said.
They said high prices of sheep, goats, cows had forced people to go for collective sacrifice. On average, the price of a goat has reached Rs 25,000, cow Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000, according to the survey.
“The rates are beyond my budget and it’s not possible for me to sacrifice an animal this Eid,” said Usman Mughal.
Yousaf Khan, a cattle trader from Hyderabad, said, “Many animals were killed in floods, this is the main reason for high rates”.
Another trader, Sabir Khan, was not convinced that floods were the cause of high rates. “A large number of animals are smuggled to other countries,” he said. “There is no price control mechanism in the country and traders demand their own prices,” said a buyer, Khalid Shah, adding that he would pool for joint sacrifice this year.
“We have booked over 500 shares in animals,” said Aneel Rehman, an organiser of joint sacrifices at a local mosque. “Not only is this a cheap option, it also allows everyone to take part in the spirit of Eid.”
“I am glad the religion gave us this option, otherwise I would not have been able to be a part of this Abrahamic tradition,” said Noman Afzal, a shopkeeper.
