DERA GHAZI KHAN City News

Congo virus fear affects sacrificial animals’ sale

From Hasnain Qaisrani

DERA GHAZI KHAN: The sale and purchase of sacrificial animals got the poor response this year amid the fear outbreak of Congo virus while the faithful avoided to visit the cattle markets and preferred to get the share in collective sacrifice.

Shahzad Hussain, a resident of Khayaban-e-Sarwar, said that he did not visit the cattle market despite insistence of his children and opted for share in collective sacrifice. The traders and livestock owners remained disappointed as the sale of sacrificial animals could not get the boost. On Monday, the traders, who had come from the remote tribal areas and adjoining areas of Balochistan, sold their animals at low rates rather than taking back with them.

Anwar Jan Kheitran, who belongs to Rakhni town of Balochistan, said that he came with a herd of five dozen goats in three trucks but could hardly sell two dozen of them. He said that now he was leaving the market with the remaining goats to celebrate Eid with his family. Allah Ditta Buzdar, who belongs to Fazila Kuchh area of Tumman Buzdar, said that sometimes better rates were offered on the Eid day, so he was willing to avail the chance. He said that he would return to his home on the second day of Eid. The traders observed that sale of the big animals, especially cows, remained good as the people were opting for collective sacrifice after the reports of Congo virus in the country. They said that various organisations were managing purchase of cows as the faithful were avoiding to visit the cattle markets. Khushi Muhammad and Mian Faizul Hassan, who have been in the profession for the last 15 years, said that the markets were following the low rates due to the thin strength of the purchasers in the markets. Some of the traders have installed tents in the animal markets and staying there, hoping that the sale would pick up on the Eid day.