Ctg cattle market sees moderate footfall, traders expect sales to pick up as holiday begins
Livestock sellers said the main wave of business traditionally depends on the start of the government holidays and the return of job holders to their hometowns.
Cattle markets across Chattogram city witnessed relatively low sales activity despite ample livestock supplies.
Livestock sellers said the main wave of business traditionally depends on the start of the government holidays and the return of job holders to their hometowns.
Most buyers had mainly been surveying the markets till now to assess the quality and prices of animals.
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Sellers expect sales to pick up from this afternoon (25 May) onwards as the official Eid holiday began today and there has been a sharp increase in the number of visitors at the markets.
A visit to the city's traditional Bibirhat cattle market showed traders from different parts of the country displaying their livestock for sale.
Among them was seller Abdus Salam, who had brought 22 cattle from Chapainawabganj.
"There was no shortage of cattle in the market and buyers were arriving in groups to inspect and select animals. However, serious price negotiations had yet to begin," he said.
According to him, many people intending to perform Qurbani prefer to purchase cattle at the very last moment, considering it safer and easier than keeping the animals at home for several days before Eid.
Saiful Islam, a resident of the city, said, "I plan to buy an animal only a day before Eid in order to avoid the hassle of keeping and caring for it at home."
"For now, I'm just visiting the markets to gauge the situation," he said.
Despite the relatively slow trade, some buyers were still seen returning home with animals that matched their budgets.
Near the entrance of Bibirhat market, Md Arif, a resident of the Oxygen area, was spotted leaving the market with his newly purchased cow.
He said that after considerable searching, he had finally managed to buy the cow within his budget for Tk60,000.
Chattogram District Livestock Officer Md Alamgir said 212 cattle markets have been set up across the district's city and upazila areas for Eid-ul-Adha this year.
Of these, three permanent and seven temporary cattle markets within the city are being directly managed and supervised by the Chattogram City Corporation.
