LAHORE: The Punjab government has set up 281 sacrificial animal sale points, including six in Lahore, to facilitate the sale and purchase of animals for Eidul Azha.

According to Local Government and Community Development Department Secretary Mian Shakeel, there are 35 major sale points (or Mandis), including the Shahpur Kanjran cattle market in Lahore. The remaining 246 points are temporary and will operate till the third day of Eid.

The Shahpur Kanjran cattle market, Punjab’s largest, witnessed a significant influx of animals and buyers on Friday. The market will operate round the clock till the third day of Eid, in addition to its regular weekly market day on Wednesdays.

Other sale points in Lahore include New King Lane Housing Society, Sport Complex (Adda Rakh Chabeel) in Wagah, Shalimar (Tehsil Shalimar), LDA City near Sidhar Village Kahna Kaacha in Nishtar Town (Model Town Tehsil), Saggian Road near Sui Gas Office in Ravi Town (City Tehsil), Barki Road near Paragon City in Aziz Bhatti Town (Cantt), and Raiwind near Haveli Markaz in Allama Iqbal Town (Raiwind Tehsil).

A visit to the mandi on Friday showed a usual activity: buyers and sellers busy negotiating prices, with some sellers demanding higher prices than last year.

“I cannot sell this goat for less than Rs60,000,” said one seller, while a buyer argued, “Your price is too high, I bought a similar goat for Rs45,000 last year.”

An official at Shahpur Kanjran market expects the market to pick up momentum from next Wednesday, with prices expected to be 10-15% higher than last year.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2024