Noman Mosharef :
The sales of cattle at the makeshift markets across the capital reached pick on Saturday following a large buyers’ turn out.
However, traders were seen seeking higher prices for their cattle while the customers were bargaining hard as the supply of sacrificial animals is adequate.
Visiting various cattle markets in the capital, it was seen those were brimming with huge customers, and traders were getting relatively good prices for their locally raised bulls due to their higher demand among buyers.
Talking to some of the buyers and sellers, it was learnt that small and medium-sized cows are among the choice list of the middle income group of people, as they are preferring bulls ranging from Tk 60,000 to Tk 80,000.
According to the Local Government Division sources, some 24 cattle markets have been set up in capital’s different areas from Wednesday, while selling of sacrificial animals would continue till before the Eid day.
Shahjahanpur cattle market coordinator Abdul Latif said that they have a lot of cows and goats in their makeshift market. Of those, most were medium and small in size, which is preferred by most of the middle-income people.
He said their market has been witnessing good sale since Saturday morning and it will continue to rise till Sunday night.
Anwar Hossain, who bought a bull at Tk 90,000 from Shahjahanpur cattle market, said the prices of big size cattle are comparatively high this year, though their supply was adequate.
According to the Department of Livestock Services, the demand for this year is more than one crore cattle across the country. Some 11,788,563 animals have been prepared to meet the needs.
“We hope to have a good sale between Saturday and Sunday night,” Babul Mia, a cattle trader at Nayabazar, told the New Nation.
Babul said he buys cattle from farmers six or seven months before Eid and brings those to Dhaka. This time, he brought 40 cattle from Madaripur’s Shibchar and already sold three for Tk 4.21 lakh.
“I hope the rest can be sold for better profits,” he said.
Azizul Islam brought five oxen from Chuadanga to Dolaikhal and hoped each of them will fetch at least Tk 2.5 lakh. “The price is high because we bought them at villages and spent a lot of money to take care of them,” he said.
Imran Bepari, a dairy farmer from Shariatpur, said he has already sold 82 cattle in his village and brought 18 more to Dhupkhola two days ago. He said he was optimistic that each cattle would be sold at over Tk 2 lakh.
“We take care of the cattle properly. So, we don’t need to use medicine for fattening,” he said.
Mokter Hossain, a trader from Pabna, said the cost for rearing cattle has gone up with an increase in prices of fodder, medicine, and vehicle fare. “The truck fare is Tk 8,000-10,000 more than last year’s. So, we’ve to sell cattle at high prices,” he said.
Hasibul Islam, a resident of Old Dhaka, said the price was high but customers were happy to see an abundance of local cattle.
Dr Farjana Jahan told The New Nation that 26 medical teams are working at cattle markets in Dhaka to monitor the physical condition of the animals.
“Some of the cattle brought from outside the capital had fallen sick,” she said. “We’re providing free medicines from DLS.”
