Meat processing creates temporary jobs

RAWALPINDI:

The ritual of animal sacrifice opened the doors of temporary employment opportunities across the city's streets and neighbourhoods during the three days of Eidul Azha.

Small-scale businesses emerged to cater to the processing of sacrificial meat—mincing, cleaning of animal organs, and preparation of trotters (paye).

Special meat mincing machines were set up in alleys and neighbourhoods, providing unemployed individuals with a temporary source of income.

Many young jobless men began charging Rs50 per kilogramme to mince meat. Cleaning and preparing large animal trotters fetched Rs600 each, while complete cleaning of stomach lining (ojhri) was priced at Rs200 for large animals and Rs100 for smaller ones.

Throughout the city, makeshift stalls for meat mincing sprang up in every street and small market. Even women contributed by cleaning and preparing trotters at home, with handwritten boards advertising their services placed outside houses.

Over the three days of Eid, many unemployed youth earned well through these services. At the same time, major hotels across the city capitalised on the occasion by roasting sacrificial animal legs for customers. Residents used the minced meat from these local stalls to prepare kebabs and other traditional dishes at home.