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CHATTOGRAM: Markets of sacrificial animals in the port city have started picking up momentum this week, with Eid-ul-Azha drawing nearer.
Sources said there is no dearth of sacrificial animals in Chattogram this year. Cattle farms and many individuals have raised around 700,000 cattle for the upcoming religious festival.
Moreover, a large number of sacrificial animals have come from neighbouring Myanmar and India recently, they said, adding that several hundreds of cattle are coming to the local markets from Myanmar every day.
Despite the sufficient supply, prices of cattle remain high in the port city, they added.
Meanwhile, the city residents have started to buy sacrificial animals from the markets from Saturday, said the traders.
At the same time, online trading of sacrificial cattle is getting more popular this year, as people opt to buy online amid the coronavirus outbreak.
To boost sales, most cattle farms have now entered the digital market space. People mostly prefer medium- and big-sized cattle for sacrifice during the Eid-ul-Azha. Goats are also being sold at the markets.
According to the sources, there are 338 cattle farms in Chattogram and they have raised more than 500,000 cattle for the upcoming Eid.
Besides, individuals and many working women have raised more than 200,000 cattle taking loans from different sources, including NGOs. But the coronavirus outbreak has cast a shadow over the prospects of their business. They anticipate a massive loss this year.
Shahidul Alam, a seasonal cattle trader, who brought 40 cattle and put them up for sale at the Jamal Khan Road, said, "I collected the cattle from villages and put them on display at the Jamal Khan Road, as many locals do not want to visit the cattle markets. I will deliver the cattle to the buyers on the morning of the Eid day so that the buyers do not have to worry about where they would keep the cattle after buying them."
Officials of Livestock department in Chattogram said there is no crisis of sacrificial animals this year, as more than 800,000 cattle have been up for sale.
District Livestock Officer Dr Reajul Haque said, "The owners of cattle farms and individual farmers are rearing around 1.0 to 1.2 million cattle. Of them, more than 0.7 million cattle are ready for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha."