Record-breaking fuel prices and crippling inflation coupled with fear of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) negatively affected the sales of sacrificial animals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi this Eid.
For this year’s Eid-ul-Azha, the cattle market for the citizens of the twin cities was set up at Bhatta Chowk, a juncture between Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
The contract for the Bhatta Chowk cattle market was awarded for Rs. 86 million. However, the contractor defaulted and has gone underground because he could only earn Rs. 17 million.
Besides, the cattle dealers also incurred significant losses this year as they returned to their homes after paying more charges for setting up stalls at the cattle market than making profits.
Despite reducing the prices of sacrificial animals by up to 20%, the cattle dealers failed to draw buyers to the cattle market. Late into the night before Eid-ul-Azha, they were forced to sell sacrificial animals to local butchers who bought them at the per kilogram price of their meat.
Some cattle dealers stayed late on the third day of Eid in the hope that potential customers will head to the cattle market. However, they left empty-handed and were forced to pay exorbitant transport charges for their remaining livestock on the return.
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