Trade of sacrificial animals gains momentum in KP after heavy downpour
PESHAWAR (APP): Like other provinces, the trade of sacrficial animals have also increased in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where all cattle markets are flooded with cows, buffalos, sheep, goats and camels on Eidul Azha.
The last night’s heavy rains in Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi and Nowshera districts have turned the weather relatively pleasant on Monday, resultantly faithful thronged to cattle markets to purchase a suitable sacrificial animal to perform Eidul Azha, the second Muslim ritual that commemorates the supreme sacrifices of great Prophets Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and his son Hazrat Ismail (AS) on upcoming Thursday.
The businessmen of Punjab and Sindh provinces besides domestic traders have brought their stock in large number to the lucrative market of Peshawar to earn maximum capital.
A cattle market survey conduced by this scribe on Monday revealed that prices of small animals including goats and sheep were very high compare to large animals these days.
The last night rains have created problems for buyers and traders. It was also found that the visitors were more in number than buyers as most of salaries class came to the markets to have an idea about the prices, however traders are expecting that the sale of cattle will speedup eve of Eid.
“Since last Saturday, I have sold 15 goats out of 40 available with me
in Kala Kala market. The buyers mostly comes to markets to take idea about
the prices and then returned empty hands last weeks,” said Mosa Khan, a cattle trader in Pachagai road. He said dealers economically suffer if stock was not sold on Eid.
He said the trade of animals have now picked up momentum after the rains and people are visiting to markets in large number.
“I bought a goat on Rs50,000 due to pleasant weather and reasonable prices in market today,” Waheed Zaman, a buyer said when asked at Lala
Kalli cattle market near Peshawar.
Waheed said that trend of collective “Qurbani” has increased due to skyrocketing prices of sacrificial animals on the eve of Eidul Azha.
Apart from domestic traders, inter-provincial businessmen dealing in cattle heads are bringing their stocks to Peshawar to got high prices in the wake of Eidul Azha.
“I have so far brought 12 trucks of cattle each from Sahiwal and my brother will send five more trucks to Peshawar shortly due to it’s high demands,” Ibrahim Khan, an inter-provincial exporter of Nowshera said.
“I refused an offer of Rs. 250,000 for my ox ‘Qalanadar’
last Sunday as I was demanding Rs. 275,000 for it,” he added.
Livestock and Dairy Development Department spokesman told APP
that hundreds of thousands of cattle are being sacrificed only in the province
on Eidul Azha.
He said KP have no choice but to import cattle from the Punjab to ensure availability of sacrificial animals on reasonable rates to people,”, adding that around 70 to 75 percent cattle are being brought form Punjab for Eid.
He suggested a tripartite-export agreement between Pakistan, India and Afghanistan to meet people requirements of beef, milk and sacrificial animals.
The spokesman said that special checkpoints were established with the
assistance of provincial government at various places on highways
connecting KP with ex FATA to control the menace of cattle smuggling to Afghanistan.
