Cattle crisis at Gabtoli Market, buyers flock to 100 Feet Natun Bazar

From the early hours, the Gabtoli cattle market, the largest in the capital, has been grappling with a severe shortage of sacrificial animals ahead of Eid.

Failing to find suitable cattle, buyers are now flocking to the 100 Feet Natun Bazar in search of livestock.

A visit to the Gabtoli market revealed a dismal scenario for Eid shoppers.

Those who arrived in the morning found only a handful of cows, with prices soaring beyond expectations.

Selim Hossain, who came to purchase a cow just a day before Eid, expressed his frustration,"I've never seen such a shortage of cattle on the morning before Eid. The few that are available are small in size and priced outrageously high."

Another buyer, Iqbal Hasan, shared his disappointment, "I came to buy a cow, but returned home with a goat instead. It was a mistake to wait until the last day."

Traders who brought their cattle to Gabtoli were seen returning home as they had sold out. One such trader, Monsur, said, "I brought 11 cows. All were sold out by early dawn yesterday. Now I'm heading home."

Another trader, Mosaddeq, added, "Yes, all the cattle are sold, but we didn't get the price we hoped for. Every cow had to be sold at a reduced price. After last year's price crash in the final hours, most traders didn't want to take risks this time."

With hardly any cattle left at Gabtoli, many buyers headed towards the 100 Feet Natun Bazaar. One of them, Mahtab Sheikh, said, "There's practically no cattle left in Gabtoli. Couldn't find anything suitable in Diabari either. I've ended up here at the 100 Feet bazar, but the traders are asking for too much."

A visit to the 100 Feet market around midday revealed that most of the cattle had already been sold. Traders were visibly anxious, unsure whether to sell the few remaining cows at a loss or wait in hopes of higher prices later in the evening.

Masum Mia, a trader from Dinajpur, said, "I've hiked the prices slightly after hearing about the cattle shortage in other markets. But I've seen this before – cattle arrive later in the day, and prices crash by evening."

Rimon Munshi, another trader, defended the high prices, "Everyone says we're charging more, but no one considers how much more expensive cattle feed has become this year. If you do the maths, each cow is costing us Tk10,000–15,000 in losses."

As the cattle crisis deepens, goat prices have also shot up in the final hours. Buyers at the 100 Feet bazar complained that goats once priced at Tk15,000 are now being sold for Tk25,000, with each goat costing Tk10,000–15,000 more than earlier in the season.

Meanwhile, unfavourable weather has added another layer of uncertainty to cattle trading across the capital's markets.

Due to the rain, many traders are now willing to sell their livestock with minimum profit, fearing further losses if conditions worsen.