Buyers thwarted by high cattle prices

PESHAWAR:

Eid-ul-Azha is just a week away, but the sky-high prices of sacrificial animals have frustrated the general public and kept most buyers away so far.

There is no shortage of sacrificial animals as cattle markets are full to capacity but compared to the animals there are few buyers around and cattle dealers are equally worried in this situation.

There are beautiful and heavy animals around and some are sold at Rs300,000 while for others dealers are demanding staggering rates reaching as high as Rs3,100,000. Peshawar’s cattle markets have become more vibrant as Eid is approaching and people are also leisurely visiting the markets to hunt for sacrificial animals at an affordable price.

In the markets of Peshawar, prices are visibly high this year.

More animals have been brought from Multan region of Punjab to the markets while most of the traders are also from Punjab who journeyed to far-flung Peshawar to make good money and they are not willing to let the opportunity go.

While talking to The Express Tribune the cattle dealers said that they have more animals, but buyers have not turned up to these markets yet in the numbers they expected.

Traders say that they are giving rent to the owner of the market on a daily basis per cattle head while there is a separate cost for animal feed due to which the prices of cattle have also increased.

They said that the prices of cattle have also increased due to higher transportation charges following an increase in the prices of petroleum products in the country, leaving them with little options.

They voiced hope that as soon as Eid comes near, the buyers will also come out of their homes and their animals will be sold.

There was a crowd in the cattle markets on Ring Road Peshawar and the market of Lala Kalay on Saturday while today (on Sunday), many people came in the markets to buy animals.

A bull named Multani Raja brought from Punjab grabbed the attention of buyers and spectators alike. The asking price of Multani Raja, weighing around 800 kilos, stands at Rs3.1 million. A local businessman offered Rs1.5 million but the owner did not agree to sell his ‘darling of the crowd’ Raja at less than Rs.3.1 million.

Similarly, the price of a goat outside the market on the Ring Road is Rs60,000 while the price of a normal sheep stood at Rs80,000.

People are mostly preferring to buy large bulls instead of goats or sheep due to their exorbitant prices.