Sacrificial animals sale surges

Islamabad

With Eidul Azha just three days away, the sales of animals for sacrifice during the two-day religious festival have picked up momentum in Islamabad.

Vendors and livestock dealers had brought animals to the special Eid cattle markets three to four weeks ago but complained of low merchandising.

However, they’ve reported higher sales in the last two days.

“Disappointed with the arrival of fewer customers in two weeks, I am happy to do good business in the last two days,” Muhammad Ishtiaq, an animal vendor from Sahiwal, said at I-12 cattle market on Saturday.

Having already sold 13 of 20 bulls, he said higher sales were expected in the next two days.

Equally happy was another livestock dealer present at the Saidpur Cattle Market.

Nazeer Ahmad of Mandi Bahauddin said the business had picked up in the last few days.

He said he had sold 18 of 30 goats mostly on Friday and Saturday and hoped the rest would be sold on Sunday and Monday.

According to vendors, they sold ‘beautiful and sturdy’ bulls between Rs80,000 and Rs 100,000 each, cows between Rs70,000 to Rs85,000 each, goats between Rs22,000 and Rs35,000 and sheep between Rs20,000 and Rs25,000.

Though there’re fewer buyers for camels, the cud-chewing mammal is selling between Rs70,000 and Rs100,000.