Buyers are thronging different cattle markets of the city and all the upazilas of the district to purchase sacrificial animals.
Sales are satisfactory with animals coming in for the last couple of days, cattle traders said, adding that cattle markets became lively with various sacrificial animals after the thronging of the buyers from Friday.
Sources at Chattogram Livestock department said eight cattle haats (makeshift cattle markets) were set up in Chattogram city while a further 146 spread around 15 upazilas. A total of 600,000 sacrificial animals are expected to be sold at all the markets.
“There're sufficient cattle as per the demand,” informed District Livestock Officer Dr Mohammad Reazul Haque.
The biggest market was set up at Sagorika in the city while the second largest one in the city’s Bibirhat.
Didarul Islam, official of a private organisation, who came to Sagorika Bazar to buy a cow on Saturday, informed that traders were charging higher prices for cows.
He had a plan to purchase a cow within Tk 50,000-60,000 but he failed to buy any due to the excessive price, he added.
Cattle trader Ramij who came from northern region to Sagorika Bazar, said, “I've brought 12 cows for the haat and already sold three of them.”
He, however, hoped that the volume of sale would increase gradually. “Buyers are now coming in and many of them are asking for better prices for their cattle,” he observed, hoping that he would be able to sell his sacrificial animals within today (Sunday).
Chattogram District Livestock Officer Reazul Haque said, “The demand for sacrificial animals would not be more than 6 lakh in the district. There won’t be any crisis of cattle and so, there’s no chance of any hike in prices of the sacrificial animals,” he pointed out.
According to statistics provided by the Department of Livestock Services, 610,219 cattle were raised in 7057 farms in the district this year.
Meanwhile, buyers complained that the cows are being sold this year at higher prices than that of last year.
It is not possible to buy the cow even at Tk 1 lakh this year which was sold at Tk 80,000 last year, said a buyer.
C & F businessman Abdul Mannan who came to Bibirhat cattle market to purchase a cow said, “There're enough cows in the market. Even then traders are not selling their cows at fair prices. I’ve seen some cows but couldn't yet buy one. No medium-sized cow is available below Tk 1 lakh.”
After visiting the Bibirhat on Saturday, it was seen most of the buyers were complaining that the prices of cows are much higher this year, particularly those of small and medium-sized ones.
Saiful Huda Jahangir, leaser of city’s largest Sagorika Bazar, said, “The cattle sales gained momentum from Friday afternoon.”
Meanwhile, Jamshed Alam of the market committee said there are sufficient cows in the market.
“Buying and selling of the sacrificial animals will increase on Sunday. The markets likely to continue till mid-night to facilitate more people to buy sacrificial animals of their choice,” he observed.
Apart from local growers, cows from Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Satkhira, Patuakhali, Kushtia and other districts were brought to different haats of the district.