Sacrificial cattle market
to be high this time

Demand to be met up by domestic animals

Mahfuja Mukul: The Eid-ul-Adha is still about a month and a half away. Livestock traders and farmers are preparing in full force. Traders are visiting different parts of the country to buy cows from householders and farmers. Many householders and farmers are also preparing to sell cows directly at the market. After two-three weeks, various cattle markets of the country including the capital will be frozen. The Department of Livestock says that there is no animal crisis in the country again, there will be no need for import but the price will be high.
They say the price of beef has doubled from six months ago. Although the price of beef has been rising slowly in the last five and a half months, the price has been increasing by leaps and bounds in the last 15 days. The price of most beef has risen at an unusual rate, especially due to the Russia-Ukraine war. The price of beef may go up further in the month before Eid. As a result, the market for sacrificial animals may rise this time.
It is learned that in the last 15 days, the price of beef has gone up to Tk800 per kg. Wheat bran is one of the food of cows. In the last three days, the price of 38 kg sack of husk has increased by Tk 2400. Earlier, a sack of husk cost Tk 1600. Prices of rice husk and wheat husk have also gone up. The price of these two types of cattle feed has increased by Tk 50 per bag. The prices of mustard khail, gram husk, khesari and masakalai husk have also gone up. On Saturday (May 21), mustard khail is being sold at Tk 55 per kg, gram husk at Tk 55 and khesari at Tk 56-56 per kg.
In the space of six months, the price of mashkalai husk has increased by Tk 200-250 per bag. Earlier, the price of a sack of masakalaiya husk was Tk 1100 to Tk 1200. Now it has increased from Tk 1400 to Tk 1450. Six months ago, a sack of mustard khail was sold for Tk 2,500 to Tk 2,600. At present it has increased from Tk 3,300 to Tk 3,400.
According to the traders, at present the price of beef in the market is Tk 800 per kg. As such, the price of a cow weighing three pounds is Tk 72 thousand. However, the beef market has been fluctuating since before Eid-ul-Fitr. Before Eid, the price of beef goes beyond Tk 800 per kg. If you take Tk 600 per kg, the price of three ounces of cattle will be Tk 74 thousand. In other words, if one wants to buy a cow of three manas, he may have to pay Tk 12-13 thousand more.
Nasir Uddin of Kushtia has been trading cattle for 28 years. For months he has been roaming the area buying cows. After Eid, he will eat for three-four months and sell it for profit. He has already bought more than two hundred cows.
Nasir Uddin told Daily Industry that there are cows in the country. There is no cattle crisis. It is possible to meet the demand with the cows. However, the price will be a little higher. Last year, I bought a cow with a maximum of Tk 800 per kg of meat. This time it has increased to Tk 800 per kg. The price of meat may go up further. If it increases by one hundred rupees per kg, then it increases by four thousand per mound. The price of a cow weighing four mound will be Tk 16-18 thousand more this time.
Regarding the increase in the price of beef, he said, the price of beef has gone up a lot. The price of husk, which was Tk 1,400 three months ago, is now Tk 2,200. If the price of khail, paddy husk and husk increases, the price of cattle will also increase. This is normal. I bought 200 cows. Now I am feeding on the farm. Every day is spent on food. I have to bear the cost of the cow. It is not a crime to expect to earn two rupees by incurring expenses.
If the price of cattle feed goes up further, the price will have to go up. If you go to the market to sell cows, there will be a lot of quarrels with the buyers. They will not understand the cost. Along with traders, many farmers are preparing to sell their cattle at the market. There is a farm called ‘Sadiq Agro’ in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. More than one and a half thousand cows have been prepared in this farm around the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha. There are cows worth Tk 1.5 lakh to Tk 40 lakh. The price of a cow of Brahma breed weighing 1400 kg is the highest.
These cows are bought on behalf of large industrial establishments, said Sadiq Agro in-charge. Mainul Islam. He said that preparations for the sacrifice were nearing completion. We have collected big cows from different parts of the country. However, this time the price has fallen a little more. Even after bringing it to our farm, the cost is high. The price of beef has gone up and the cost of cattle has gone up.
Local cattle will meet demand
The Department of Livestock does not yet have clear information about the demand and preparation of sacrificial animals this year. A letter has been sent from the department to get the field information. However, on the basis of the overall information, the officials of the department claim that it is possible to meet the demand of sacrifice with the animals prepared in the country.
According to the department, the number of animals in the country was one crore 19 lakh 17 thousand on the last Eid of Korbani. Of which cows and buffaloes were 45 lakh 46 thousand, goats and sheep were 63 lakh 75 thousand and other animals were four thousand 85. Sales of sacrificial animals were slightly lower that year due to the outbreak of corona.
However, this time the situation in Corona has become much more normal and the demand for animals may increase by 10 percent as compared to the last Eid-ul-Adha. The Department of Livestock has sent letters to the district and upazila level to get detailed information in this regard from the field level. The letter was given on May 10. The reply to the letter will give a clear idea about the number and demand of the sacrificial animals.
Zinat Sultana, deputy director of the livestock department told, “I sent a letter to the district and upazila level on May 10. It will take about a month to arrive. However, it is clear that there is no shortage of sacrificial cows in the country. It is possible to meet the demand for sacrifice with cows prepared in the country. However, with the increase in the price of beef, the price of cattle may also go up.
Regarding the demand for sacrificial animals, he said, “The financial health of the country is good this time. Hopefully, the demand will be 10 percent higher than last year. However, even if the demand increases, there is no danger of a cattle crisis. There are enough cows ready in the country farms. Hopefully, the cows will be stored even if the demand is met. There will be no need to bring cows from abroad in any way.