PESHAWAR: With the festival of Eidul Azha just a week away the business of sacrificial animals is yet to pick up momentum here in the provincial metropolis.

During a visit to the main cattle market on the Ring Road this correspondent noted that most of the enclosures meant for display of sacrificial animals were empty while a few people were roaming around with their animals to attract customers.

Most of the buyers were seen only asking questions about the price and searching for animals within their financial range.

The cattle traders cited multiple factors that had forced the buyers to stay away from the markets. They said that Covid-19 pandemic, hot weather and price hike were the main reasons for delay in the business picking up momentum.

A trader Zabit Khan said that this year the business was very slow not only in Peshawar, but also in the main cattle markets of the country, including Multan, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and other areas.

Traders say business badly hit by pandemic

He also complained about rising transportation charges and fodder price, saying that the spread of coronavirus had played havoc with the cattle trade.

Other traders, including Azmat Khan and Naseeb Gul, said that they had brought animals from Punjab two weeks ago, but they did not plan to revisit Punjab markets in the prevailing slump in the local market.

They said that all kinds of animals were available in the market, but there was a visible difference in the price of each animal ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs20,000 compared to the previous year.

“We have spent much of the cash on feeding the animals, but the business is slow and we will prefer to sell out the existing herds of animals,” they said. They said the standard operating procedure (SOPs) for containing Covid-19 had also forced the buyers to avoid visiting cattle markets.

“In past, our people would sell the animals on the city streets along the railways track, but this time the district administration is not allowing the business there,” they complained.

One Abdullah, who was heading a group of people to buy a sacrificial animal, said that the price hike had left the people with the only option to get share in the sacrificial animal instead of going for an individual sacrifice.

He added because of the increased awareness of Covid-19 the people preferred to buy animals online instead of visiting the cattle markets. He said most of the people lacked space and preferred to buy sacrificial animals during the last few days.

Despite regular raids by the officials of district administration and livestock department, the visitors were least bothered to follow the SOPs and very few people were seen wearing face masks.

The safety measures were restricted to photo sessions during spray on the animals.

The district administration has notified 12 cattle markets in Peshawar at Hazarkhwani, Naguman, Mera Sirakh, Northern Bypass, Bakhshu Pul, Kala Mandi, Chalghazi Baba, Sarband, Achini, Bazikhel, Badbher and Ormar.

Unlike past, the administration has banned cattle markets along the Ring Road and inside city areas to contain coronavirus. Also, the people over age 50 and children below 10 are not allowed to enter the cattle markets.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2020