With Eid-ul-Azha a few weeks away, people in Punjab’s provincial capital will start turning towards cattle markets sooner or later to buy sacrificial animals but given the prevalent economic downturn they are likely to be disgruntled with the exorbitant livestock prices that await them.
Traders and cattle breeders, who responded to an on-ground survey carried out by The Express Tribune, were of the view that factors like high transportation costs and the death of livestock during last year’s floods, would lead to customers in Lahore, being charged nearly 35 to 40 per cent more for sacrificial animals this year.
“Since most livestock animals are bred in South Punjab, transporting them to areas like Lahore or Faisalabad has become a pricey affair,” informed Haji Zulfiqar Ali, a livestock farmer based in the city. When asked to elaborate on the high prices, Ali replied that last year a truck carrying animals to Lahore from Rahim Yar Khan would cost Rs 50,000 but this time around transporters were demanding Rs 100,000. “These high rates are also likely to trigger a supply shortage in cattle markets as farmers will be unwilling to come to Lahore, which will then result in traders charging even more,” predicted Ali.
“Another reason why prices are likely to be high this year is the inflation rate. For instance, last year beef was Rs 450 per kilogram, this year it is Rs 900 per kilogram,” he added.
Muhammad Kaleem, a farmer from Dera Ghazi Khan, seconded Ali’s prediction and observations. “Last year I paid Rs 500 per small animal as transport cost from Dera Ghazi Khan to Lahore, this time around I am being quoted Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 per animal,” said Kaleem, adding that it was likely that others like him would skip going to Lahore this year and just sell sacrificial animals in South Punjab.
In this regard, Secretary General of Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) Lahore, Faheem Ahmed, was of the view that there was little farmers could do in the prevalent economic situation. “The rates of everything have gone up due to the double-digit inflation, so it is only natural that farmers will charge more for sacrificial animals,” said Ahmed.
However, he disagreed with the fact that the supply of animals would decrease this year.
“Prices for animals going up is a consistent trend that is witnessed every year but supply remains steady and that is unlikely to change.” However, Ahmed’s prediction might not be true given the data collected by The Express Tribune from PTA sources, which shows a downward trend, as about 5.86 million animals were sacrificed last year whereas 8.1 million animals were sacrificed in 2021.
