Digital bakra mandi finds it tough to survive

Owners say online business will take time to become popular

LAHORE: The online sale of sacrificial animals has failed to attract buyers so far as the majority of citizens prefer to visit cattle markets personally to buy animals of their choice and budget.

Several billboards are placed in the city offering online sale of sacrificial animals, indicating addresses of their websites. The websites; 'Bakra Online' and 'Qurbani Online', deal with the sale of animals and delivery options through online payments but both the companies have failed to catch a good number of customers.



“People do not trust online marketing of sacrificial animals. Our website could not sell more than 50 animals last year and the same situation is prevailing this year," says a spokesman for Bakra online.

He says that this online business would take some time to become popular among the people. "It is just the start and people are getting information gradually about the business."

It is a general trend that people visit animal markets with their children and friends not only to buy sacrificial animals, but also to enjoy time with the kids, he said.



Qurbani Online Owner Muhammad Ali says that their company sold more than 40,000 animals last year but majority of these animals were sold at display centres and a small number of animals were sacrificed through this online system.

He adds that the foreigners and overseas Pakistanis order animals for sadqa, aqeeqa and qurbani and send the meat to poor people.



According to an online website, the rates of goats weighing 22 kilogrammes is Rs25,000, Rs34,000 for 28 kilogrammes and Rs45,000 for 40 kilogrammes. Traders are also advertising their animals on social media but have also failed to get their business going due to lack of people's interest.

A citizen says that there is an abundance of gadgets available in homes and people want to use them to make their lives easier. He adds that the trend of online buying of sacrificial animals will grow in Pakistan and is a reminder of the fact that how fast our country is moving towards a digital future.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2017.