PESHAWAR: The sale of sacrificial animals has gained momentum in the provincial metropolis as Eidul Azha draws near.

People are seen visiting different localities for buying sacrificial animals though there are only two official cattle markets, one in Chamkani and other on Ring Road, in Peshawar. The traders have also started roaming in the streets with their animals to attract the buyers.

During a visit to the Ring Road cattle market, it was observed that most of the buyers were interested in purchase of buffaloes and bulls instead of goats, sheep and rams.

Owing to the exorbitant prices of the animals, people, mostly belonging to middle class, preferred to get a share in a sacrificial animal rather than buying an animal solely for their families. Although the rates of animals seemed reasonable, most of the buyers complained about the high prices.

Most buyers going for bulls and buffaloes instead of sheep and goats

It was observed that traders were demanding high rates for their animals at first just for bargaining, however, they were trying to engage the customers at all costs. The price of a normal size of animal was Rs35,000 at the market, however, there were many traders, who wanted sell their animals at more than Rs100,000.

A trader wanted to sell his bull at Rs170,000 but after a lengthy and heated bargaining with a customer, the animal was sold at Rs130,000.

Ibrahim Khan, a resident of Kakshal who was leading a group of five persons, said that they wanted to buy an animal but the rates were very high as compared to that of previous year. He said that that all members of the group belonged to middle class and could not afford to buy a costly animal.

The members of another group, led by an elderly tribesman Shamsul Qamar of Bara tehsil in Khyber Agency, presently living in Nawi Kalli, said that they could not go to their village owing to imposition of curfew and military operation there and had to celebrate Eid away from their area.

“It is the fourth Eid that we are celebrating out of our village. In the past, we used to purchase sacrificial animals solely for our families but now it is difficult due to financial constraints,” the elderly tribesman said.

He said majority of people preferred to purchase big animals like buffaloes and bulls so that they could share the meat with their poor relatives. He said that goats, rams and sheep were the best choice for individuals but they had little meat. “We have to distribute the meat among all those, who are unable to purchase animals for themselves,” he added.

However, the traders said that rates of animals were reasonable as compared to that of previous year. “This year we brought all our animals to Peshawar as we could not transport them to Karachi due to floods. There is no dearth of animals in the market as the owners are ready to sell them even at a low rate,” said Hakeemullah, a resident of Sahiwal said.

He said that another reason for the reasonable rates of animals was that many cattle markets in interior Punjab were closed due to floods. The traders had to sell their animals at whatever rate they could get due to shortage and high price of fodder, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2014