Shops of slaughtering tools draw crowds in Multan

Knife prices, sharpening charges vary widely, but higher than last year

MULTAN:

Shops of knives and slaughtering tools in Multan are crowded as people prepare to sacrifice animals on Eidul Azha. The knives being offered for sale in local markets have a broad range of quality and prices. The prices range from Rs100 to Rs1,500, while the charges for sharpening a knife are from Rs30 to Rs100.

Among the various types of knives in the retail and wholesale markets, the demand for the exceptionally sharp tools and those having a unique design is higher.

Reportedly, those have waited till now to get their slaughtering tools sharpened for Eidul Azha are being forced to wait for long due to the crowd of customers at the outlets. Local knife makers said their workload had doubled ahead of the Eid.

They said their business had been closed for a long time due to the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, while inflation had also risen. They said the use of power generators due to frequent outages during the production process had also increased the cost of their products. Meanwhile, the charges for sharpening the knives and sharpening tools have risen sharply because of the increased number of customers ahead of the Eid.

Customers also complained about the higher prices of the utensils needed for the Eid.

“At first it seemed that the shops would remain closed due to the lockdown but now the shops are open, however, the prices are very high,” said a customer.

He maintained that a knife that was sold for Rs200 last year was now available in the market for Rs300 to Rs350, while the charges for sharpening knives had also gone up.

On the other hand, the shopkeepers seemed happy with their business.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2020.