High prices of sacrificial animals in Peshawar upset buyers

PESHAWAR: The buyers Thursday complained of high prices of sacrificial animals as the dealers awaited customers at the cattle markets whose number was not encouraging. The buyers cited the lust for more profit and lack of check by the quarters concerned for the high prices of the sacrificial animals.

The dealers, on the other hand, said the prices were high in Punjab and they had to bear other expenses as well such as feed and the tax on cattle head, which ultimately resulted in an increase in the animals prices. "The dealers demand Rs150,000 for an animal we had bought for Rs90,000 the previous year. I have bought a normal weight animal for Rs82,000," said a customer Sher Zaman. He along with his other friend had come from Matani town to buy an animal for the Eidul Azha.

He predicted that the prices would go up as this year the number of cattle transported from Punjab was not sufficient. Muhammad Naveed of the Dauranpur village did not see the high prices of cattle head and said these were reasonable. "There is inflation in the country. The prices of the sacrificial animal are affordable if we look at the inflation in the market," he added. But he could not persuade a dealer to sell him an average bull for Rs50,000. The dealer was demanding Rs65, 000.

Fazal Amin of the Surizai Bala village complained of high prices of the sacrificial animals. He was worried that the prices may hike ahead of Eidul Azha. But Roohullah, a resident of Khazana Sugar Mills area, said the prices were within the reach.

Zubair Ahmad of the Dilazak Road area said the dealers were demanding high prices to make extra profit. "Some dealers have come from other parts of the province to purchase animals and shift and sell them in own districts and cities. They thoroughly negotiate the prices and buy the animals at a comparatively decent rate. But the common people only buy an animal once a year and do not have the skills and experience to cut a reasonable deal," he elaborated.

A dealer, Mausam Gul, said the prices were high because they had purchased the animals in Punjab and they had to pay the transportation charges. "We pay transportation charges, cattle market fee, other taxes and buy fodder for these animals. We have to make some profit as well which result in an increase in prices of the cattle," he added.

Another dealer, Subhanullah Khan, said there were not many buyers in the market and the sale was yet to gain momentum. He agreed that the sellers demanded high prices and cited the costs they incurred on transporting and keeping animals as the primary reason for demanding high prices.

The dealer said a cattle cost him Rs8,000 to Rs9,000. He hoped that the number of buyers would increase in the coming days as the people preferred to buy the sacrificial animals in the last two days. "The people do not have the space in their houses to keep the animals and to arrange fodder for the cattle. They preferred to buy animals a day or two before Eidul Azha," he pointed out.