With Eidul Azha just four days away, the prices of sacrificial animals, especially goats and sheep, have increased manifold. Most makeshift sacrificial animals markets in the provincial metropolis, including the Shahpur Kanjran, the largest one in Lahore, were pulling a considerable number of potential buyers.
However, most of visitors were seen returning without purchasing any animals, as the prices of sacrificial animals, what they say, were skyrocketing. The Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL) had specified 10 sites for establishment of makeshift cattle markets and sales points this year, and divided the city into seven zones for the purpose. Traders and cattle breeders, while responding to a survey, carried out by APP, said that major factors of skyrocketing of prices of sacrificial animals were because of high transportation and animal feeding costs, and the loss of livestock during the last year’s floods.
The high prices of sacrificial animals have affected the low-income and salaried class the most. According to the survey, most people are giving preference to collective sacrifice due to high prices of sacrificial animals. They said that in Lahore markets, this year around 30 to 35 per cent more prices of sacrificial animals were being demanded by the cattle owners.
A visit to different sale points also revealed that the price of a normal size goat, sheep, or lamb ranges from Rs 65,000 to Rs 75,000, whereas a medium-size cow and calf ranged from Rs 140,000 to Rs 300,000. Transporting animals from south Punjab to cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi or Faisalabad had gone a pricey affair, Israr Gopang, a livestock breeder from Dera Ghazi Khan, said. When asked to comment on the high prices, he replied that last year a truck carrying animals to Lahore from Mithan Kot and Dera Ghazi Khan would cost Rs 48,000 to 50,000, but this year transporters were demanding around Rs 95,000 to 100,000 for the same task. On the other hand, sellers of sacrificial animals said that the main reason behind high prices of animals.
