Cattle traders with leftover stock clamour for a sale

Those who sold all their animals pack up and head back home

LAHORE: Traders with leftover stocks of animals were desperate to good rid of their 'excess baggage' on Monday, the third and last day of Eidul Azha. At the same time, those who managed to sell all their animals packed their bags and set off for the journey back home.

A few traders were sitting idle near the Township Cattle Market, which was created as a makeshift arrangement for Eid. The majority of them lingered on with the hope of attracting any possible customers to sell leftover goats and sheep.



For those with stock in hand, heading back home with the animals could be an expensive proposition as the cost of transportation was high. Many feared they would lose any profits they may have earned Muhammad Waqar, a cattle trader from Jacobabad, was seen calling every passerby to have a look at the dozen or so sheep he had left. “Going back with all these sheep will cost me a lot of money. Now, I am offering my livestock at much lower prices so I can go back home with some profit”.

Waqar was hopeful that he would be able to sell the remaining animals. “I know there are people who couldn’t buy a sacrificial animal before Eid or on the first and second days. The prices we are offering will be a win-win situation for customers and traders”.

Waqar added that he came with a group which had sold about 90% of its livestock. He continued that he did not want to waste the profit he had earned by having to transport the sheep back. “I know I will go back home without any sheep. If I am unable to sell them here, I will approach local butchers. In any case, I won’t be going back with all these animals.”



Another trader, Allah Rakha, who hails from Multan, had much fewer animals and seemed more eager to sell at whatever prices customers were willing to offer.

Although most people prefered performing animal sacrifice on the first or second day of Eid, there were those who could not afford the inflated rates. A few such buyers were also seen at the now almost deserted cattle market. Ali Hamza, with his two young sons, was one of them. He was seen speaking to the few remaining cattle traders and looking at their stock. “The prices of sacrificial animals, coupled with the rates of butchers, are too high on the first and second day of Eid.”I choose to find an animal on the last day of Eid.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2017.