HYDERABAD, Oct 22: A steep rise in the prices of sacrificial animals has dampened people’s enthusiasm for fulfilling this important religious duty and thereby dulled business at the two large animal markets set up by the administration on Autobahn Road in Latifabad Unit No7 and near the Hatri bypass.

The two markets have thousand of cows, calves, bulls, goats and sheep on sale but deals are few and far between despite crowds of buyers, mostly youth and children, thronging the enclosures throughout the day.

“Many people hang around the market but only a few actually buy animals because of skyrocketing prices,” said buyer Faisal Bukhari at Autobahn animal market.

He said that prices of goats and sheep ranged from Rs18,000 to Rs65,000 and those of cows and bulls from Rs50,000 to Rs500,000.

Another buyer, Majeed Khan, who cut a deal at Rs120,000 for a cow, said he had been haggling with the dealer for hours to get him to reduce the price from Rs160,000 and finally succeeded in bringing him round.

There are 400 tents for animals in the Autobahn market spread over 3-4 acres. Its contract has been awarded at Rs3.45 million for 10 days.

The contractor, Akbar Qureshi, said that he was providing shelter, water, power and security to animals and dealers and charged Rs800 (Rs400 from buyer and an equal amount from buyer) for a single deal of a goat or sheep and Rs2,200 for a single deal of a big animal (Rs1,500 from seller, Rs700 from buyer).

Mr Qureshi said the government should crack down on all illegal markets that had sprung up across the district to help boost business at this legal market which had been set up after wining a contract.

A dealer, Manzoor Ahmed, who has brought 60 animals from Badin, said that prices of his animals ranged from Rs60,000 to Rs200,000 but no animal had been sold so far. Most people came to the market for just window-shopping, he said.

He admitted that prices of animals had gone up but said it was because of a rise in transportation charges, petrol and fodder, power tariff and workers who were paid for looking after animals.

He said that he had to pay Rs1,000 per animal for bringing it from Badin to Hyderabad besides Rs50 to 100 being extorted at every police post on the way.

The market, he said, would gain momentum three or four days ahead of Eid and prices would further rise as serious customers started coming to the market.

Shakeel Qureshi, a dealer, said that market administration was charging sellers and buyers a total of Rs2,200 for a big animal, which was too much. He said he had sold four cows at prices ranging from Rs80,000 to Rs170,000. Most serious customers visited the market during night and rarely any deal was cut during daytime, he said.

A dealer of goats and sheep, Mohammad Shafique from Mirpurkhas, said he had brought 40 goats with prices between Rs10,000 and Rs65,000 and managed to sell only two for Rs23,000 and 50,000.

Abdul Khalique, another dealer of goats, said that he had sold 10 goats outside the market at prices ranging from Rs23,000 to Rs35,000 but had not been able to sell any goat in the market.

He said that there were many sale points in Latifabad, city and Qasimabad where customers preferred to buy animals because they did not have to pay any extra fee there.

Haji Nabi Bux Khaskheli, contractor of the animal market at Hatri bypass, said that he had won the contract for Rs17 million for a year. Rs600 and Rs100 respectively were charged after a deal of a big and small animal, he said, adding he was providing all needed facilities, including shelter, water, power and security.

Despite the contractors’ claims about provision of all facilities there were no veterinary doctors or staff in both the animal markets.

A dealer Angoor Khan who has come from Thull in Jacobabad said that he had sold only one bull for Rs80,000. “The business is dull because people want to buy good and healthy animals at cheaper rates which is not possible,” he said.

Allah Bux Rind from Daur in Nawabshah said that he had sold only four out of 80 goats and sheep he had at prices ranging from 21,000 to Rs27,500. The illegal sale points outside the market were hurting business as the customers were more inclined to buying animals from there because they did not have to pay any fee, he complained.

There are many illegal animal sale points in Latifabad No 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11 and 12, City Gate, Rani Bagh road, Naseem Nagar roundabout, Hussainabad roundabout and other areas.