December 06, 2008	Saturday	Zilhaj 7, 1429

MUZAFFARGARH, Dec 5: The high price of fodder is the main contributor to increase in prices of animals for prospective buyers this year on the occasion of Eidul Azha.

Last year the fodder was available at Rs40 per 40kg while this year its price has surged to Rs60 per 40kg. Traders selling sacrificial animals are facing difficulties because of costly fodder for their animals in big cities.

Traders said that they were from rural areas and the government should make available fodder at affordable prices for their animals in big cities in a similar way as it had provided them with places for business.

Trader Ameer Bux Sahoo told this scribe that he had gone to Multan with a herd of sheep and goats to earn some profit. He said he set up his camp near Khaniwal Road, but the shortage of fodder and its costly rates were unbearable. He said his three dozen sheep and goats needed 130kg fodder for one time meal and they were provided five-time a day meal to keep them business-lucrative.

“Animals who are put on sale at new places eat more fodder because they are in a state of surprise and shock”, he said.

The business has become too risky because the people have become judicious and most of the trading takes place a night before Eid’, he said.

Traders have demanded that the government should provide fodder at the subsidized rates so that the ultimate benefit could be passed on to buyers.