Cattle markets pop up before schedule

The sale of sacrificial animals has gotten underway in Rawalpindi and surrounding areas with cattle markets popping up across the city and its suburbs, including one of the major ones at Bhatta Chowk at the intersection of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Cattle traders from smaller towns and villages in Punjab, Azad Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have descended on the capital with their animals with de facto markets popping up including in nooks and corners of the city.

Smaller markets have popped up at Bhatta Road, Adiala Road, Chakri Road, Pirwadhai, Ghazni Road, Bakra Mandi, Bani Chowk, Faizabad, Dhok Syedan, Gulzar Quaid, Gulraiz and Lalazar.

It warrants mentioning that as per the Bhatta Chowk cattle market contract auctioned by the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB), the sale of animals had to start 15 days before Eidul Azha, the festival of sacrifice, which is expected on June 28 or 29.

The smaller markets, where between 50-100 animals are available for sale, are unsanctioned.

Steep prices The annual increase in animal prices continued, with the average prices being at an all-time high.

This has also contributed to the recent trend of contributing a ‘share’ in a cow, bull or buffalo –that has seven shares – instead of a goat or sheep, which only has one ‘share’.

An exploratory survey of the cattle markets revealed that a normal bull was priced between Rs190,000 to Rs225,000.

Slightly bigger bulls have been priced around Rs250,000, while ‘super bulls’ can range anywhere between Rs700,000 to Rs1 million.

The price of goats has also shot up to Rs100,000, while slightly bigger goats are for Rs120,000.

Meanwhile, super goats can cost as much as half a million rupees.

The price of an average sheep is Rs110,000, the second-tier sheep is Rs150,000, while the biggest ones are for Rs520,000.

Meanwhile, buffaloes have an asking price of Rs200,000, while the super breeds can cost as much as Rs0.6 million.