KARACHI: Prices of red meat as well as sacrificial animals have gone up as Eidul Azha is fast approaching. The rising cost of animals will put extra burden even on those who want to participate in joint qurbani.

This year too, welfare institutions, mosques, madressahs etc have made arrangements for collective qurbani but people remain sceptical about the size of sacrificial animals.

They think that such organisations prefer to buy animals of small size, though these bodies increase the rates of animals for qurbani every year.

However, the organisers of these activities deny buying animals of low weight and increasing prices unnecessarily.

The organisers blame the government for not taking steps to control the increasing prices of animals despite rising population of animals.

Last year, these organisers raised the prices of cow share by Rs200 to Rs1,550, and goats by Rs1,000.

Some organisers of qurbani are offering per share of cow at Rs11,500, claiming to have purchased high weight animals.

Government blamed for not taking steps to control increasing prices

Rates of cow share also depend on the day. The qurbani on the first day of Eid is expensive.

Joint Secretary General of the Alamgir Welfare Trust International (AWTI) Shakeel Dehlavi said the rate of goat has been raised by Rs1,000 to Rs13,350 this year while cow share price has been increased by Rs100 to Rs11,850.

“Arrangements have been made to slaughter 6,000 cows/buffaloes and goats in Karachi just like last year.

“Each share will weigh around 16 to 18kg, while the weight of goat will hover around 22-25kg,” he said.

Dehlavi claimed that joint sacrifice has been showing growth of 20 per cent every year.

He attributed the price increase in cow share and goat rate to rising rates of butchers, animal transporters, feed and labour, involved in maintaining slaughter places.

Spokesperson of the Saylani Welfare Trust (SWT) said the trust has raised the price of goat by Rs3,000 to Rs15,000 this year, and cow share by Rs300 to take it to Rs9,000.

The SWT, he said, has planned to slaughter over 7,000 goats all over the country while the number of cows is over 2,500, showing a growth of at least 25pc every year.

The number of animals to be sacrificed may soar further depending on consumers’ demand.

He said cows weighing 2.5 to three maunds were being purchased to give away 10kg meat in each cow share.

An official at Rehmani Masjid Sector 15A/5 Buffer Zone said the price of each share of cow has been jacked up to Rs9,000 from last year’s Rs8,600. The rate of goat has also been increased to Rs18,800 from Rs17,600.

Maulana Iftikhar Ahmed, teacher at Baitul Mukkaram Mosque Gulshan-i-Iqbal, said the price of cow share has been enhanced to Rs9,000 from last year’s Rs8,500.

“We kept the rate of cow share unchanged for last three years but this year we cannot hold the price intact owing to rising cost of qurbani,” he added.

In-charge of booking at Darul Uloom, Korangi, Abdullah Siddiqui said the price of cow share has been raised by Rs500 to Rs9,000, while 400 cows will be sacrificed this year as against last year’s 350.

“Truly speaking, we have maintained the weight of cows to around three to 3.5 maunds but the per share price has gone up due to rising expenditures,” he claimed.

Meat retailers have jacked up the prices of veal with and without bones by up to Rs80 per kg prior to Eidul Azha.

Depending on the areas, retailers are now charging Rs480-540 for veal with bones and Rs600-640 per kg without bones.

Mutton price has witnessed jump of up to Rs100 per kg and the rates now hover between Rs950-1,000 per kg in various areas.

The city government had kept the price of mutton unchanged at Rs740 per kg in 2017 and 2018 which was Rs550 per kg in 2016.

The official rates of veal meat with and without bones were Rs380 and Rs470 per kg in 2017 and 2018 which were Rs320 and Rs440 per kg in 2016.

According to Economic Survey 2017-2018, country’s goat production rose to 74.1m in 2017-2018 from 72.2m in 2016-2017 and 70.3m in 2015-2016.

Buffalo production soared to 38.8m in 2017-2018 from 37.7m in 2016-2017 and 36.6m in 2015-2016.

Cattle production increased to 46.1m in 2017-2018 from 44.4m in 2016-2017 and 42.8m in 2015-2016.

Beef production grew to 2.155m tonnes in 2017-2018 from 2.088m tonnes in 2016-2017 and 2.017m tonnes in 2015-2016.

Mutton production, which was 686,000 tonnes in 2015-2016, surged to 701,000 tonnes in 2016-2017 and 717,000 tonnes in 2017-2018.

Meat retailers had always blamed exports of meat and meat preparations for putting pressure on local meat prices but PBS figures gave a different picture.

Meat exports started improving from April 2018 after remaining subdued in the last two years.

Exports of meat and meat preparations in 2017-18 slightly went up to 63,691 tonnes ($225 million) as compared to 62,221 tonnes ($220m) in 2016-2017.

Total exports in 2016-2017 fell to 61,516 tonnes ($221m) from 77,324 tonnes ($269m) in 2015-2016.

With Eidul Azha falling by end of this month, arrival of cows/buffaloes in Superhighway cattle market has reached 90,000 followed by 5,000 goats and 300-350 camels, said media coordinator of maweshi mandi Naveed Baig.

Makeshift and roadside sale of goats is also gradually growing as Eid is getting closer.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2018