High demand for small cattle, slow sales for large cattle in Dhaka's Eid markets
The surge in demand has driven prices slightly higher due to increased rearing costs.
This year, Dhaka's Eid-ul-Adha sacrificial animal markets are witnessing a sharp rise in demand for small and medium-sized cattle, while sellers of large cattle are struggling with sluggish sales.
The surge in demand has driven prices slightly higher due to increased rearing costs.
Conversations with buyers and sellers at several markets, including Gabtoli, Rampura's Meradia, Tejgaon's Polytechnic playground, Hazaribag, and Kamalapur, reveal that among the 20 authorised permanent and temporary markets of the two city corporations in Dhaka, the most buyers are for small and medium-sized cattle. Sellers in this segment are seeing good sales.
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Shariful Islam, a cattle seller from Meherpur, Kushtia, brought 21 small-sized cattle to the Meradia cattle market. By this afternoon, he had sold 12 of his cattle for Tk1.20 -1.30 lakh each, depending on their size and beauty.
He expressed hope that all his cattle would be sold by Sunday due to the high demand for small cattle, noting that he had to sell them for Tk10,000-20,000 more than last year due to increased rearing costs and purchase prices from farms.
Sales started to pick up from this morning, with a significant surge after Jummah prayers. Sellers expect the buyer rush to continue until 17 June.
Alim Uddin, another seller from Kushtia, brought 37 medium-sized cattle to the market, pricing them between Tk1.50-2.5 lakh each, depending on their size. He has already sold nine cattle and observed an increase in buyers since this afternoon.
However, buyers accuse sellers of charging excessive prices this year. Many who had budgeted around Tk1 lakh are being forced to increase their budgets.
The sacrificial animal market in Tejgaon, originally planned for the Polytechnic playground, has overflowed onto the main road in front of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST), extending to Link Road and Nabisco.
A buyer near AUST shared his frustration, "I had budgeted Tk1.10 lakh for buying a sacrificial animal this year. But I can't find any cattle for under Tk1.20-1.30 lakh. The prices seem a bit high."
Shariful Islam, a resident of Mogbazar, who purchased a cow for Tk1.25 lakh from this market, expressed his disappointment, "I was hoping to buy a cow for under Tk1 lakh. But due to the high prices of small cattle in the market, I had to spend an extra Tk25,000. Last year, I bought a cow of the same size for Tk1.05 lakh."
Despite these complaints, some buyers managed to find cattle within their budgets. Hakim Chowdhury bought a small indigenous breed cow for under Tk90,000 at the Gabtoli market, noting that supply exceeds demand, causing prices to be slightly high.
Large cattle sellers at Gabtoli, Dhaka's largest sacrificial animal market, are concerned about slow sales. They attribute this to increased rearing costs and a lack of buyers interested in large animals.
The owner of Alishaan Dairy Farm in Keraniganj shared his predicament, "We brought 70 Sahiwal breed cattle to the market on Thursday, priced between Tk8-12 lakh each. However, only one has been sold so far. There are very few buyers."
He explained that rearing costs have increased significantly compared to last year, with food prices rising by 40-50%.
Mohammad Jamir Mia, a seller from Tangail, echoed the same concerns, having brought seven large foreign breed cattle to the market but yet to sell a single one.
Rana Hamid, a cashier at the Gabtoli market's leasing authority, expressed a glimmer of hope, "So far, 90% of the cattle that have been sold are Indigenous breeds and small to medium-sized cattle. Perhaps the demand for large cattle will increase in the last two days."
Visits to various markets in Dhaka reveal an abundance of cattle of all sizes. Officials indicate that markets have been open since Thursday, and with two days remaining before Eid, buyers are hoping for price negotiations in the final days.
According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and the Department of Livestock, the estimated demand for sacrificial animals this year is 1,07,23,944. The available supply of sacrificial animals in the country is 1,29,80,367.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Rahman said that there are 22,77,973 more sacrificial animals available this year than the estimated demand. All of these animals have been reared in Bangladesh.
Officials explained that the number of animals sacrificed each year is aligned with people's purchasing power. This year, inflation of around 10% could impact the purchasing capacity for sacrificial animals. Buyers with tight budgets are focusing more on smaller cattle.
Mohammad Imran Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Dairy Farmers' Association, said, "Due to inflation, there will be an increased demand for smaller cattle this year. Meanwhile, the rearing cost of cattle has increased by more than 40%, just for the price of feed."
He added that last year, cattle sold online for Tk480-500 per kg now cost Tk500-600 per kg, depending on their size.
Dr Mohammad Reajul Haque, director general of the Department of Livestock, said, "It is true that rearing costs have increased. But there is no shortage of sacrificial animals; there are plenty of indigenous cattle in the markets that people prefer."
Last year, 1,41,00,812 animals were sacrificed with a market value of Tk64,724 crore. This year, the demand for cattle is 1.07 crore, he added.
