Citizens of twin cities decry expensive rates set by butchers, cattle markets
Seasonal and professional butchers both charging up to Rs20,000 for services
PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD:
Residents of the twin cities are perplexed. After having to get their sacrificial animals from cattle markets at such inflated rates, they are trying their best to find butchers at cheaper prices to slaughter them.
Most of the butchers have shut down the sale of meat for the next two weeks and started bookings for butchery service for sacrificial animals from Friday.
Professional and seasonal butchers have set prices of Rs8,000-15,000 for big animals such as bull or cow, depending on its size while small animals such as goats or sheep would be slaughtered between Rs3,000-5,000.
In this regard, a butcher, Arshad, told The Express Tribune that butchers’ rates were nominal if it were compared with the current wave of inflation. “We are affected by inflation in the country too,” he added.
He said that non-professional butchers did not know tactics to bring down big animals to the grounds and were unable to cut the meat properly.
Arshad added that an animal weighing eight tons would be slaughtered in Rs15,000 with complete services while rates of other animals would be decided on the spot after seeing the size of the animal.
He complained that people spent up to Rs100,000 to purchase the animal of their choice but acted parsimonious while hiring a butcher.
Further, a citizen, who will offer a sacrifice of his animal, Naveed Shams, expressed that it had become difficult to fulfil the ritual of sacrifice in the current wave of inflation.
He complained, “We paid high prices for our animals and would now be paying inflated prices to butchers as well.”
Talking about his animal, he said that a professional butcher was demanding Rs20,000 for slaughtering two of his animals and he was worried. He demanded that the district administration fix rates of the butchers to make it easier for people to fulfil the religious ritual.
Eid preparations
Festivities of Eid ul Azha including the sacred ritual to buy the animals for slaughter in the name of Allah Almighty were getting momentum across the country as only two days are left in Eid celebrations.
Citizens in the federal capital, enthusiastically, were indulging in preparations as a huge number of people especially men, women and children can be seen in the cattle markets looking for the sacrificial animal and on the roads and streets petting and tending to the animals they bought earlier.
Women were also busy visiting the markets to finalise their preparations for 'Eid cooking' alongside their dresses and accessories which they were supposed to wear when they would greet friends and relatives on Eid day.
Ayesha, a housewife and mother of two said that her children were decorating the sacrificial animals and spending maximum time with them.
Having these animals around has made them forget the excitement of Eid dresses unlike Eid ul Fitr".
She said, "I have bought my Eid dress, shoes and matching jewellery earlier this month as markets will be overcrowded near Eid due to sales and discounts".
Children’s participation
As Eid days are getting closer, enthusiastic children were witnessed seen in performing all the chores related to their sacrificial animals, which include arranging for their fodder, sheltering and taking them for a walk.
The citizens have been buying more animals for sacrifice and children are enjoying these temporary guests at their homes as one day left for Eid.
According to parents, Children's demand for sacrificial animals started as soon as the month of Eid starts. These days, they can be seen boasting about prices, colours and physical features of their animals. Children do everything to make sacrificial animals look beautiful too.
People, especially young boys and girls, kept their animals decorated with a high demand for sacrificial ornaments available for the purpose in all across the country including the capital city.
Spice purchase
Like every year, ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the demand for 'spices' has witnessed boom as household purchase of items like cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper and cloves for cooking the meat-related recipes. These essential cooking items have become a hub of attraction for female buyers in the grocery stores.
Traders all across the country including federal capital became active to cash in on the surging demand of spices used in meat recipe. According to sellers, during the joyous Eid-ul-Azha occasion, the air in the marketplace quite literally turns aromatic as a staggering range of traditional kebabs and Biryani are made.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, August 11th, 2019.
Residents of the twin cities are perplexed. After having to get their sacrificial animals from cattle markets at such inflated rates, they are trying their best to find butchers at cheaper prices to slaughter them.
Most of the butchers have shut down the sale of meat for the next two weeks and started bookings for butchery service for sacrificial animals from Friday.
Professional and seasonal butchers have set prices of Rs8,000-15,000 for big animals such as bull or cow, depending on its size while small animals such as goats or sheep would be slaughtered between Rs3,000-5,000.
In this regard, a butcher, Arshad, told The Express Tribune that butchers’ rates were nominal if it were compared with the current wave of inflation. “We are affected by inflation in the country too,” he added.
He said that non-professional butchers did not know tactics to bring down big animals to the grounds and were unable to cut the meat properly.
Arshad added that an animal weighing eight tons would be slaughtered in Rs15,000 with complete services while rates of other animals would be decided on the spot after seeing the size of the animal.
He complained that people spent up to Rs100,000 to purchase the animal of their choice but acted parsimonious while hiring a butcher.
Further, a citizen, who will offer a sacrifice of his animal, Naveed Shams, expressed that it had become difficult to fulfil the ritual of sacrifice in the current wave of inflation.
He complained, “We paid high prices for our animals and would now be paying inflated prices to butchers as well.”
Talking about his animal, he said that a professional butcher was demanding Rs20,000 for slaughtering two of his animals and he was worried. He demanded that the district administration fix rates of the butchers to make it easier for people to fulfil the religious ritual.
Eid preparations
Festivities of Eid ul Azha including the sacred ritual to buy the animals for slaughter in the name of Allah Almighty were getting momentum across the country as only two days are left in Eid celebrations.
Citizens in the federal capital, enthusiastically, were indulging in preparations as a huge number of people especially men, women and children can be seen in the cattle markets looking for the sacrificial animal and on the roads and streets petting and tending to the animals they bought earlier.
Women were also busy visiting the markets to finalise their preparations for 'Eid cooking' alongside their dresses and accessories which they were supposed to wear when they would greet friends and relatives on Eid day.
Ayesha, a housewife and mother of two said that her children were decorating the sacrificial animals and spending maximum time with them.
Having these animals around has made them forget the excitement of Eid dresses unlike Eid ul Fitr".
She said, "I have bought my Eid dress, shoes and matching jewellery earlier this month as markets will be overcrowded near Eid due to sales and discounts".
Children’s participation
As Eid days are getting closer, enthusiastic children were witnessed seen in performing all the chores related to their sacrificial animals, which include arranging for their fodder, sheltering and taking them for a walk.
The citizens have been buying more animals for sacrifice and children are enjoying these temporary guests at their homes as one day left for Eid.
According to parents, Children's demand for sacrificial animals started as soon as the month of Eid starts. These days, they can be seen boasting about prices, colours and physical features of their animals. Children do everything to make sacrificial animals look beautiful too.
People, especially young boys and girls, kept their animals decorated with a high demand for sacrificial ornaments available for the purpose in all across the country including the capital city.
Spice purchase
Like every year, ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the demand for 'spices' has witnessed boom as household purchase of items like cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper and cloves for cooking the meat-related recipes. These essential cooking items have become a hub of attraction for female buyers in the grocery stores.
Traders all across the country including federal capital became active to cash in on the surging demand of spices used in meat recipe. According to sellers, during the joyous Eid-ul-Azha occasion, the air in the marketplace quite literally turns aromatic as a staggering range of traditional kebabs and Biryani are made.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, August 11th, 2019.