Animal market in I-11: Purpose-built market fails to serve purpose

Market sees limited customer load, unhappy vendors; allegations of mismanagement.

ISLAMABAD:

At Islamabad’s only authorised sacrificial animal market in I-11/4, buyers and sellers alike are facing problems ahead of Eidul Azha.

Where the sellers complain of high entry fees for the cattle, exorbitant charges for tents and a shortage of water, buyers are bothered by the high prices of the animals.

Daud Ahmed, shopping for a bull, said the prices of animals have doubled since last year.

“Bulls that were sold for Rs50,000 last year now cost Rs100,000,” Ahmed said. “Even after bargain, there’s a price increase of at least Rs20,000.”

The selling prices of bulls at the market range from Rs50,000 to Rs100,000, according to Muhammad Sharif, an animal seller from Arifwala in Pakpattan District. People mostly opt for bulls in the Rs50,000 to Rs75,000 range, Sharif said.

The prices of goats and lambs have also increased. Compared to last year’s Rs20,000, goats are available for Rs25,000 to Rs35,000 this year, according to Daud Shah, a herder from Layyah. “You can get a smaller, weaker goat for Rs15,000,” Shah said, “But for a good animal, you’ll have to pay upwards of Rs30,000.”

The result is that the market is not bustling with buyers and animal sellers are finding it difficult to sell their cattle.

“I have not sold a single bull in three days,” lamented Muhammad Imran, who brought a huge contingent of animals to Islamabad from Vehari. “The offering prices of customers are well below my own expenditures on the animals.” Imran said he was not optimistic about an increase in sales in the days leading up to Eid.

Although most people just seemed to be browsing in the market on Sunday, some like Asif Farooqi, did not return empty-handed. However, even Farooqi, who bought a bull for Rs70,000, acknowledged the rise in prices.

“The prices are skyrocketing,” said Farooqi, who works for a media development firm in Islamabad.

He said people who visit the animal market are usually serious customers, otherwise people opt for a share in an animal. Farooqi himself wanted to buy a Sahiwal bull but had to change his mind.

“Sometimes you have to compromise based on the size of the animal, its price and time constraints,” he said.

Vendor woes

Water seemed to be the biggest issue for the animal sellers, even though  CDA spokesperson Ramzan Sajid said the civic agency was providing water and sanitation facilities at the market.

CDA’s water tankers at the market had long queues of people waiting to get a share of the water. Animal sellers said the tankers visit sporadically and they can barely get enough drinking water for themselves and are forced to buy water cans from private vendors for their animals.

Sharif, a herder from Arifwala, said each 20-litre can of water costs Rs30 and an average bull consumes around five such cans per day. Depending upon the strength of the seller’s herd, the cost of water can be massive.

Imran said his cattle herd consumes almost Rs10,000 worth of water every day.

“We have spent thousands on transporting the animals here and now we have to pay more for the water,” he said. “At the least the administration could provide us with better facilities.”

Shah, another goat seller from Layyah, was frustrated with his experience at the market as well. “I’ve been bringing animals to Islamabad for years, but this will be my last year,” he said unequivocally.

Shah said the contractor has doubled the entry fees for goats to Rs200 from Rs100 and it is now Rs400 for bulls. On top of that, the contractor is charging the animal sellers for the tents.

“The contractor is charging Rs15,000 for a 15-feet enclosure,” he said. “I brought my own tent and still had to pay. It’s outrageous.”

At the administration enclosure, officer in-charge Farooq Jamal denied the contractor was charging tent fees from the sellers. He said the tent service providers might have collected tent charges from sellers but if the animal sellers do not want tents, no one is forcing them.

“The land belongs to the Capital Development Authority (CDA),” he said. “We can’t charge for it and we can’t force anyone to pitch a tent here.” The sellers, however, rejected this claim. Imran said he was charged Rs25,000 for his tents by the contractor and the administration threw his stuff out when he refused to pay.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2012.