The buyers of sacrificial animals Monday complained the absence of price fixing mechanism of animals in the market of I-11 sector and demanded the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to interfere and save the buyers from profiteers.
A survey conducted showed that the animal traders are charging the people on their sweet will. There is no mechanism to check the self proclaimed prices of the animals in the market and the buyers have no choice but to pay price demanded by the seller.
“It is the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha and the price of a heifer and goat differs according to its beauty, weight and demand,” a trader Allah Bakhsh said.
Around 2,500 heifers and bulls, 5,000 goats and 100 camels have arrived at I-11 market this year for sale, said contractor Sajid Mehmood.
The prices of animals have increased from 30 to 50 percent as compared to last year. Vendors blamed the hike in the prices of the sacrificial animals to the rising inflation, high cost of input, transportation charges and high rents of housing animals in the market are the main reason for soaring prices.
The price of an average size heifer starts from Rs 75,000, while a medium size goat is available from Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 per kilogram. The price of a healthy medium sized goat is not less than Rs 25,000. Last year the prices of a goat ranged between Rs 15, 000 to Rs 20,000.
Meanwhile, the sale of sacrificial animals was yet to gain momentum as skyrocketed prices have forced the masses to wait for decrease in the prices to get some respite.