With only nine days remaining in the second Muslim religious festival Eid-ul-Azha, the prices of the sacrificial animals are registering an upward trend as a sacrifice this year seems merely a dream for many salaried and middle-class families. A market survey conducted by this scribe here Friday, revealed that this year the prices of sacrificial animals have gone double as compared to that of last year. Many of the retired and serving government employees seem unable to perform the important religious obligation this time because sacrificial animals are beyond their purchasing power, “Riaz Ahmed Samo, a retired government employee said. A buffalo and cow are now being sold for Rs.400,000 – 600,000 in the different localities of Sukkur. “The total sale of sacrificial animals these days is around 50 against 300 cattle last year,” said a businessman of cattle Muhammad Naeem. He said he has so far received about 500 cattle from Punjab and Sindh provinces and I expect more from other provinces as Eid-ul- Azha become closer. These days, he said, most of the buyers just come, ask about prices and then return empty hands, he remarked.
“The prices of ox and goats are higher here than in Punjab and Upper Sindh,” Muhammad Naeem said. He said that he refused the offer of Rs 280,000 for his ox named “Hera” as he was demanding Rs 350,000 for it at Ali Wahan area of Sukkur. He, however, said sometimes they are suffering financial losses when their cattle were not sold during Eid-ul-Azha days or die due to very hot weather. However, middle-class circles feared that due to the high prices of other commodities, the rates of sacrificial animals would also remain out of reach of the general public. Traders expressed the hope that sales will gain momentum in the coming days as Sukkur city dwellers, which have difficulties in keeping the animals in their yards, will start visiting the markets.
