AN increased tendency is noted among people to participate in collective and waqf sacrifices of animals on Eidul Azha this year for a variety of reasons. This approach is seemingly driven by fears of the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. Besides this, higher prices of sacrificial animals are another important factor.

Until few days before Eidul Azha, uncertainty prevailed whether the annual 10 days of cattle bazaars would be allowed by the Sindh government in different districts as the government had decided to extend the lockdown, which had started on March 23, till Aug 15. The dust finally settled when cattle bazaars were established with the government easing timing of such bazaars on July 29 till 11 pm.

The usual rush of buyers and the hullabaloo, however, seemed to have eluded such bazaars. Average buyers were seen complaining about the increased prices of goats, bulls and cows in cattle bazaar and roadsides markets. The pandemic has perhaps also dampened the spirit among people to buy animals for individual sacrifice.

Ringtone messages from cellular phone companies before every call urging the caller to opt for collective qurbani have played a significant role

This is evident from the fact that young men, boys and kids were not seen moving their animals on roads which are a common sight days before Eidul Azha. Animals in larger number are yet to appear in streets and localities at the time of writing of this article.

The pandemic has substantially affected the country’s economy with negative growth trends. People remain cash strapped given the increasing inflation, cost of fuel and commodities like flour and sugar.

Animals’ prices have increased considerably. A bull with an anticipated 3.5 maunds of meat which could be bought for Rs70,000 to Rs75,000 last year was not being sold this year. An even higher price is sought for a cow of the same weight. The bull could be purchased for Rs90,000 or so.

Input cost of wheat and oilcake for cattle traders has increased, prompting them to increase the price of animals. For an average buyer, the transportation cost invariably remains Rs1,500 to Rs2,000 and a few thousand rupees of mandi fees. But the well-offs are comfortable with higher prices of animals.

Every year expatriates Pakistanis also make a substantial contribution to collective and waqf sacrifices managed by religious organisations and charities. This contribution is said to have increased in the backdrop of the pandemic too. People have shown spirit to see that meat reaches to the have-nots and deserving ones through their trusted organisations. For a waqf sacrifice, the faithful pay organisations involved in this exercise to distribute their share of sacrificial meat among the deserving people and the poor.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s Al-Khidmat Foundation’s Sindh region head Tabassum Jafri believes that waqf mode of sacrificehas increased by 100 per cent this year when compared with the last Eidul Azha. He refers to figures still being compiled in the central office of the foundation where money by philanthropists is pooled for the purpose. “We have noticed an increase in the trend for [waqf] sacrifice this year. Similarly, collective sacrifice has increased given the number of requests for it,” Jafri says.

Charities like Yasinul Quran are engaged in least-developed areas such as Tharparkar to ensure the distribution of meat among people of remote villages of the desert. According to its spokesman, Yasir Arafat, the charity has purchased 470 animals – up by 90 last year – for waqf sacrifice through their network that covers Gilgit and Chitral besides Tharparkar.

“Ringtone messages from cellular phone companies before every call urging caller to opt for collective qurbani this year have played a significant role,” contends Dr Saifur Rehman, who looks after Al Khidmat’s Hyderabad district. “Such messages influenced people to opt for collective sacrifice instead of an individual one,” he says. To make his point, Dr Rehman says the foundation bought 132 cattle so far for collective qurbaniwhich was 111 last year. “More animals are being purchased as cash inflows are still continuing and we have two days to go,” he says.

Eidul Azha provides an opportunity for seasonal and short-term investors to invest money in the sale/purchase of big animals. Such investors have a corporate sector background. Traders and even salaried class people – with no livestock or rural experience – have shown a greater inclination towards this annual business to earn an additional income in a couple of months. Those dealing in betel nut, rice or other commodities are regular investors that invest heavily to make an extra buck.

“Investors start purchasing big animals during Ramazan as they get better returns for them. For some it is a hobby besides a viable income-generating option,” says Latif Qureshi, who has been associated with this sector for a long time. “These investors use supplements and injections to fatten animals and then market them,” Qureshi adds.

Shahid Nagori annually purchases sacrificial animals by making a considerable investment and he prefers Punjab’s breeds of cattle for sale on Eidul Azha. But this year he cautiously invested in the purchase of 50 animals compared with the 150 animals bought last year. Till July 29, he had sold 37 animals and another 13 animals were to be sold for Rs0.3-0.5m.

“This year I started purchasing animals in June soon after Eidul Fitr; I had also bought 20 animals in January. By that time the outbreak of this pandemic hadn’t taken place in Sindh. By the end of March, the government came up with the lockdown policy to stem the spread of the virus. I avoided making my usual investments for fear of blocking my finances if the lockdown is not eased,” says Nagori.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, August 4th, 2020