Cattle prices still high
Though the price of sacrificial animals has dropped slightly due to a lack of customers, it remains high compared to the same time last year.
With only a day left before Eid-ul-Azha, the number of buyers was still low, despite a large supply of bulls.
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High inflationary pressure on the middle and lower-middle classes is believed to be behind the poor turnout at different cattle markets in Dhaka.
In the fiscal year 2022-2023, the average inflation rate was 9.02 percent.
However, many traders remain hopeful for a surge in customers on Saturday night and Sunday, the last days before Eid-ul-Azha.
"I have purchased a bull for Tk 92,000, which is still high as sellers are not willing to reduce the price," said Nafiur Rahman Asif, a resident of Wari.
Md Sakib Hossain, a resident of Malibagh, said, "I bought three bulls for Tk 9.5 lakhs, which is high compared to last year."
Traders are unhappy as they were forced to reduce prices because of less customers. They said the cost of rearing cattle was significantly high due to soaring fodder costs.
"I have already faced losses by selling six of my 28 big bulls as I am not getting satisfactory customers," said Abul Kashem Sheikh, who came to Kamalapur cattle market from Natore.
Rashid Mollah, a trader at Gabtali who brought 24 bulls from Manikganj, said he sold six of his bulls for between Tk 1 lakh and 1.50 lakh, facing some loss. "I am sensing more loss on the last day if I do not sell, so I have started selling without thinking about the profit," he said.
Many residents are not sacrificing bulls this year. Ruhul Amin, a private job holder in Ibrahimpur, purchased beef from a meat trader instead.
"I will not sacrifice animals this year as the Tk 30,000 bonus I received is not enough due to the increase in my daily expenses," he said.
A teacher at a private college in Dhaka, who sacrificed a bull last year by sharing with a partner for Tk 47,000, has also refrained from sacrificing a bull this year due to a shortage of money.
Amzad Hossain, a Gabtali trader who brought two camels and five dumbas (sheep) from Pakistan, managed to sell one camel for Tk 23 lakh and two dumbas for Tk 2 lakhs each.
"I am asking Tk 26 lakh for each camel. I have two dumbas priced at Tk 2 lakhs each, along with a big one for Tk 4 lakh," he said, claiming to have spent Tk 30 lakhs to bring the animals from Pakistan by airplane.
At Gabtali cattle market, a bull weighing 38 mounds was priced at Tk 16 lakh.
"There is an expenditure of Tk 7 lakh, and I am considering selling it with a minimum profit due to poor customer turnout," said the owner.
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