Noman Mosharef :
Though only five days are left to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, the second-largest religious festival for Muslims, the sacrificial animal market is yet to get momentum. Despite a sufficient supply of cattle in the market by framers and traders, buyers are not in a good mode of taking early decision. And as a result, sales in the cattle markets already set up across the country as well as Dhaka are not picking up to the expectation of the traders.
Market sources said the less presence of buyers has made the traders disappointed. Usually, before one or two days of Eid, people buy their sacrificial animals.
On the other hand, the owner of big size sacrificial cattle have been facing hardship to sell their animal for their higher prices as the people are showing interest in buying medium and small size cattle.
Monjel Hossain, a farmer from Pabna Sathia Upazila, is facing trouble to sell his ‘Mohan Raj’ a giant cow he raised for Eid-ul-Azha, weighing about 25 mound, asking Tk10 lakh.
He is extremely worried as the buyers are not showing interest to buy it rather opting for small cattle.
Like Monjel Hossain, most of big size cattle owners are facing such type of problem to sell their animal.
Statistics showed that nearly 40 percent of the total annual animal slaughter in Bangladesh during Eid-ul-Azha.
Around 1.24 crore animals, of which 56 lakh are fattened bulls and buffaloes, are ready for Eid this year, according to the Department of Livestock Services (DLS). The authorities estimate that just over 1 crore animals will be slaughtered, leaving a surplus of roughly 20.68 lakh this Eid.
Last year, 1.04 crore animals were sacrificed, up from 1.01 crore the year before.
Despite the ample supply, most cattle markets in Dhaka city and across the country have remained sluggish in recent weeks. Farmers and traders are now banking on last-minute sales in the final days before Eid.
Md Altaf Hossain, a cattle farmer from Binnadari village of Shahzadpur Upazila in Sirajganj, brought two cows, each weighing over six maunds (one maund is equivalent to 40kg), to Koromzahaat in Bera Upazila of Pabna on Saturday. He returned home with the cows unsold.
“I asked for Tk 1.8 lakh per cow, but traders were offering below Tk 1.5 lakh. That is far too low for me, so I had no choice but to take them back,” he said.
“I’ll wait another week, but I must sell the animals before Eid,” he added. For the farmer, rearing the livestock each day means added costs for animal feed.
Md Ershad of Jamitri village at Shahzadpur brought two smaller cows to the same market but managed to sell only one.
“I sold a two-maund cow for Tk 70,000, though I was hoping for at least Tk 75,000. The other one, which weighs 3.5 maunds, remains unsold. Traders are offering just Tk 90,000, but I can’t accept that,” said Ershad.
Md Golam Mostafa, a farmer from Char Paikarhaat of Santhia Upazila in Pabna, said, “There are not enough buyers.”
“Those who plan to sacrifice animals are not turning up at the wholesale markets. Traders are buying from us, but we are not getting the prices we expected,” he said.
Mostafa brought four fattened cows, each weighing over six maunds, to market this week but sold only one.
“I sold a seven-maund cow for Tk 1.8 lakh to a local trader, but no one else is offering reasonable prices. Buyers from Dhaka and other big cities are still missing. Only local traders are here, so the market is dull,” Mostafa said.
Cattle trader Md Raihan told The New Nation that business is slower this year.
“Sales are poor compared to last year. I have been to dozens of wholesale markets in Pabna, Sirajganj, Natore and Rajshahi over the past few weeks but found few serious customers,” he said.
“Last year, I sold 15 to 20 cows every week in three to four markets ahead of Eid. This year, I can’t even manage to sell more than 10 in a week,” Raihan said.
Still, many traders and farmers remain hopeful that sales will pick up in the last three or four days before Eid, when last-minute buyers usually crowd the markets.
This season, traders and farmers said that smaller and medium-sized animals, those weighing under five maunds, are drawing more interest than larger ones.
Meanwhile, spiraling feed costs are adding to the burden for farmers.
Md Saiful Islam, a farmer at Faridpur Upazila in Pabna, said, “The price of bran and oilcake has risen by over Tk 100 in recent weeks. We are spending more on feed and medicine to fatten the cattle ahead of Eid.”
“Feeding a large cow costs Tk 350 to 400 a day, while a medium-sized one needs at least Tk 200,” he added.
Livestock officials say supply is more than sufficient in both Pabna and Sirajganj, and with Indian cattle imports strictly restricted, local farmers do not need to worry.
