December 22, 2006	Friday	Ziqa'ad 30, 1427

KARACHI, Dec 21: Sky-rocketing prices of sacrificial animals this year have forced people belonging to the low-income group to stay away from cattle markets so far. During visits to the cattle markets at Super Highway, Landhi and Mauch goth (Baldia Town), it was observed that they lacked the usual influx of people from across the city, this year.

According to cattle traders, they have raised prices of animals at least from twenty to thirty per cent due to the increased prices of fodder, taxis and transportation charges.

Interestingly, the prices of animals were not as high in the regional markets like Landhi and Baldia as compared to that of the Super Highway, where the people belonging mostly to the upper class can afford to buy themselves sacrificial animals.

A survey of various markets revealed that the prices of cows and bulls ranged from Rs15,000 to Rs300,000. Prices of buffalos ranged from Rs50,000 to Rs100,000, whereas goats and sheep are available from Rs5,000 to Rs10,000 and above.

Last year dry fodder was sold at Rs100-110 per 40kg, the current rate is Rs230 per 40kg. Similarly, the price of husk has been increased from Rs300 to Rs700 per 40kg, green fodder from Rs70 to Rs100 per 40kg, chowkar from Rs150 to Rs300 per 40kg.

At the Super Highway market, the entry fee for the animals had also been increased from Rs300 to Rs450. Besides, most of the traders complained about the bad attitude of the police personnel deputed on the highways and alleged that they were torturing people just to mint money without any valid reason.

Mohammad Riaz, Mohammad Nawaz and Akhtar told that most of the animals were brought from Sahiwal and Bahawalpur (Punjab) for which truck owners were charging at least Rs16,000 as against Rs12,000 the previous year.

According to the traders, rates of animals are increasing due to the exorbitant rates charged by other service providers at the cattle markets as well. A cup of normal tea can be obtained at Rs8, a 300-litre tank of drinking water is being sold at Rs100, Rs8 is being charged for a local telephone call.

The shopkeepers told Dawn that they had paid Rs10,102 for setting up a PCO, while last year’s charges were only Rs5,000, the entry fee had been increased from Rs30 to Rs35, the fee for donkey carts had been increased from Rs10 to Rs35.

The Suzuki drivers have also increased their rates. Suzuki drivers Taza Gul, and Noor Khan told this scribe “last year we charged Rs300 to Rs400 for an animal to Banaras, Baldia, Orangi, North Karachi, but this year’s fare is Rs600 to Rs1,000.

However, the entry fee at the fairs of Landhi and Mauch goth (Baldia town) were reported much less than that of the Super Highway.

In the cattle market of Baldia Town, people complained of shortage of water and insufficient lighting arrangements saying that the entry fee for a goat had been increased from Rs50 to Rs125, for bull or cow Rs150 to Rs250, camel Rs250 to Rs400, buffalo Rs10 to Rs50.

Animal traders Haji Aslam and Raja Abdul Maalik told that Rs25 were charged even for a slaughtered young buffalo. They also demanded establishment of a government veterinary hospital in the premises, where the owners of permanent cattle pens could avail medicines for their animals.

Some of the traders said that police personnel used to collect extortion money, in addition to all the taxes, from the people for reasons best know to them.