With Eidul Azha around the corner tents housing livestock in residential areas, makeshift cattle markets and stalls selling fodder and decorative items for sacrificial animals have sprung up.
This steep rise in business for cattle related items in the last few weeks has also come as golden opportunity for many in Karachi to retrieve some of the losses endured during the past year-and-a-half of the pandemic. Those who had been left unemployed or out of business due to three viral waves, mostly youths, have come to see the booming market as an opportunity for temporary income. Where some have invested their savings in the cattle industry, others have set up makeshift stalls tending to the festivities on street corners and major bazaars. Professionals like butchers and veterinary physicians have also expanded their services and upped their prices in advance of the festival of sacrifice; all hoping to make bank this Eid.
Read More: Cattle market contract made non-transferable
According to Rashid Ahmed, who has been hustling to find business opportunities left, right and centre after losing his job last year, setting up a stall to sell knick-knacks and fodder for sacrificial animals has been a lucrative decision for him. “I put up my stall about a week ago and plan to run it until the third day of Eid,” he told, adding that even those hired to work on daily wages at such stalls can make anywhere between Rs800- Rs1,000 a day.
Fodder prices on the other hand, seem to have surged by up to 20 per cent in comparison to last year.
The youth, who purchases his stock from wholesale bazaars like Lee Market, said that prices can vary in different wholesale markets in different parts of the city. “Depending on the buying price and transport cost, stall owners usually hope to make a 15 to 20 per cent profit when selling the items in city centres,” he told.
Another business that seems to have taken wings prior to Eid, is animal-keeping. Most who got their livestock weeks before the festival, come monsoon, had to soon invest in enclosures to protect their animals from the downpour. In most upscale neighbourhoods, this meant setting up fancy tents and canopies-the same one ought to see at wedding venues.
“Some areas offer communal enclosures for the entire neighbourhood. Here the rent for a large animal for 24-hours ranges from Rs250 to Rs500 or more, and for small animals anywhere between Rs200 to Rs350 a day,” said Shariq, a young animal keeper.
These animal-keeping enclosures usually also offer food, grooming and security for the housed livestock. But often, to curb prices, animal owners choose to bring their own fodder for their cattle. “If you leave it up to the animal keepers, fodder can cost you thrice the market rate,” claimed a citizen who’d chosen to keep his animal in his neighbourhood enclosure.
Butchers on the other hand, who annually rise to VIP status prior to Eidul Azha, are also looking to make maximum profits this season with an approximately 50 per cent hike in service rates. The demand however, has remained consistent and most who operate during Eid, had already closed their advanced bookings a week before the festival.
“Our rates are according to the weight of the animal and the day of sacrifice,” said Ibrahim Qureshi, a local butcher. Usually, the first day, which is the most esteemed, has the highest butchering rates. On average, a moderate to large sized animal can cost Rs 12,000 to Rs15,000 or more, while in affluent areas butchering prices can also climb as high as Rs20,000 or more for the same.
In addition to that, the price of butchering equipment has also seen a steep rise, as sellers await maximum profits after one-and-a-half year of economic crisis. Butchering knives for instance are hot in the market right now, costing between Rs300 to Rs800 or more depending on quality. Similarly cutting boards can cost between Rs1,200 to Rs2,000, while mats and baskets are priced between at Rs300 to Rs800 this year.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2021.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ