Buyers prefer farms as Dhaka cattle markets are yet to begin fully
This year, Dhaka North and South have taken initiatives to set up a total of 19 sacrificial animal markets in the capital
With Eid-ul-Azha a week away, traders and farmers from different parts of the country are bringing sacrificial animals to various markets in the capital with high hopes of a robust sale.
However, the cattle markets are yet to begin trades in full swing and meanwhile, people are buying sacrificial animals directly from farms.
Visiting multiple cattle farms in Dhaka's Mohammadpur area, Eid sales were seen going well. On some farms, 60-70% of the animals have already been sold out.
Sadek Agro, located near the embankment road next to the Mohammadpur bus stand, has prepared a whopping 2,500 animals for sacrifice, and around 70% of them have been sold out.
Sahriar Porosh, in charge of the Agro, told The Business Standard (TBS), "The demand for small and medium-sized cows, priced between Tk90,000 and Tk3 lakh, is high."
"Around three-quarters of our stock have already been booked. The customers will receive them two days before Eid. We will make home delivery," he added.
Apart from cows, the farm also has goats, buffaloes, camels and dumbas. It also has several large improved breeds of cows with price tags ranging from Tk18 lakh to Tk36 lakh.
Swadesh Agro, another farm in the embankment area, has 31 small and medium-sized cows. Of these, six have been sold.
Abdul Qayyum, the owner of the farm, told TBS that he has cows with prices ranging from Tk95,000 to Tk1,60,000.
Meanwhile, more sacrificial animals are arriving in the capital every day.
As per the city corporation directives, the sales will officially start on 6 July in the makeshift cattle markets in the capital. However, many traders are already making sales by flouting the order.
This year, Dhaka North and South have taken initiatives to set up a total of 19 sacrificial animal markets in the capital. Among them, two are permanent markets where cattle are traded throughout the year.
Apart from these two, 17 more temporary markets - 10 in Dhaka South and 7 in the North- have been set up.
Visiting the Meradia cattle market in the capital, farmers from different parts of the country were seen unloading animals from trucks and organising them on the ground.
Some buyers were also seen roaming the market and inspecting the prices of cattle. No cow priced below Tk1 lakh was located in this market.
Anwar Hossain, a cattle farmer from Khulna, brought 10 cows to this market. He said, "The cost of raising cows has increased by a lot. So, the price will be higher this time than last year."
According to the Department of Livestock Services, there is an ample stock of cattle for this Eid-ul-Azha. Among 1.21 crore sacrificial animals, 46.11 lakh are cows and buffaloes.
