A sharp increase in prices of sacrificial animals has been witnessed in provincial metropolis Peshawar and the rest parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ahead of "Eidul Azha". As the "Eidul Azha" is just round the corner, the trade of animals has steadily increased in the provincial capital. Unscrupulous traders jack up prices of sacrificial animals, despite local administration strict measures including curbing smuggling of animals to neighbouring Afghanistan.
Due to sky-high prices, sacrifice has become merely a dream for many salaried and middle class families in this year. Amid high prices of animals, most of the people prefer to collective sacrifice on the religious festival.
According to a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Sunday, a majority of people may not be able to sacrifice animals individually on Eidul Azha as rates have increased by 70 to 90 per cent in two years. During a visit to the cattle market on Ring Road, it was observed that a large number of animals of different sizes were up for sale.
Buyers, who came to makeshift sacrificial animal market on Ring Road, said the price of small size animal was Rs 25,000 last year, has jumped to Rs.55,000, while a healthy and heavy weight animal is available from the range of Rs.80,000 to 150,000 in the local cattle market. Jawad Ali, a resident of Peshawar, who came to Ring Road cattle market, to buy a cow, says "Prices of a small sheep are more than Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000.
Livestock merchants in provincial metropolis have said the prices of sacrificial animals have registered a manifold increase as a result of bribes paid to police and increase of steep rise in prices of petroleum products, trigging increase in transportation charges and high rates of fodder.
They said most of the animals were brought to Peshawar from Multan, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Lahore and they also had to pay to police at different checkpoints otherwise they were not allowed entrance to the city.
People are showing interest in buying oxen, cows or goats and sheep for their family members, but those in groups of five or seven people like to buy buffalos which are relatively cheaper,` said a local trader Altaf Hussain of Chughalpura.
Ghulam Nabi, another buyer, said prices of animals are 100 per cent higher than this Eidul Azha as compared to preceding year. He said he bought a good weight animal at Rs 35,000 last year, which is now available at Rs 80,000 this year.
The price hike is the direct result of greedy traders, who want to exploit the Eid season and other special occasions to make quick gains. The remarkable increase in animal prices is caused by high demand and low supply, according to some buyers.
Livestock trader Awal Gul said they imported animals from Punjab. Police and other officials seek bribes from them at every checkpoint, he alleged. As a result, they are selling the animals at higher prices. Despite having legal permits, he said the police are charging Rs 1000 to Rs 3000 per vehicle, at various checkpoints from Punjab to Peshawar.
The price of sacrificial animals has shot up due to the increased costs of bribe, along with surging prices of fuel and transportation charges, making it expensive for breeders to feed their livestock, Gul added. He also said that profit margin has become negligible due to the high costs of fodder, tents and animal entry to the cattle markets.
Another trader Mian Gul of Surizai village said that transportation charges of animals from Punjab to Peshawar markets had registered sharp rise and they were compelled to revise the prices of animals upward. `A big animal ie cow or oxen which was available at Rs30,000 in routine is now being sold at Rs 36,000 because of the higher transportation charges,` said the trader said.
Zahid Gul of Takhtabad said that owners of the open land spaces have also increased the rent charges and are taking Rs 4,000 from traders for small plot used for herding animals while the charges of electricity, water and cleanliness have also gone up.
Jannat Khan, a sheep breeder said that expensive fodder was the principal cause of the price hike. He said not only have animal prices gone up, but the rates of fodders also increased. "Prices will inevitably increase when breeders are paying more for a case of barley," he said.
An administration official of the Cattle Market said that all kinds of facilities, especially security, had been provided to traders and visitors.
However, contractor of cattle market has also increased the entry and exit fees. The exit fee has been increased from Rs 600 to Rs 700 while the entry fee is Rs 30 only.
