"I could not find a single cow within a budget of Tk 1 lakh. The cheapest one on offer is Tk 1 lakh 20 thousand. Traders say a cow of Tk 1.25 lakh will give three and a half maunds of meat, but I think it will not be more than three maunds. That means the meat will cost about Tk 1,000 a kg, while beef is selling in the market for Tk 800 a kg."

Enamul Haque said this on the morning of Monday, 26 June, after coming to buy a cow at the Aftabnagar market in the capital. Looking for a small cow for the sacrifice, he could not match what he wanted with what he could afford.

A visit to the Aftabnagar market found demand for small cattle high but supply lower than for large cattle, which is why small and medium cattle cost much more. Few buyers were seen from the morning, and most of those present were onlookers.

Worked out per kilogram, small cattle cost much more than large ones. Buying a cow of 7 to 10 maunds puts the meat at an average of Tk 700-800 a kg, while for small cattle it is Tk 100-200 a kg more.

Khaled Hossain, a trader who brought cattle from Pabna, told Jagonews: "Everyone wants small cattle, so the price is high. Demand for big cattle is low this time, so their price is lower too."

Traders say higher feed and rearing costs have also pushed up the price of sacrificial animals. Prices this Eid-ul-Azha are higher than in previous years, so buyers cannot find the animals they want at the prices they hoped for, while sellers are worried about not getting their price.

Talking to many traders, it was learnt that cattle prices have risen by Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000 from last year, depending on size. At Aftabnagar last year, small and medium cattle (3 to 5 maunds) sold for Tk 28,000 to Tk 29,000 a maund and large cattle (over 5 maunds) for Tk 26,000 to Tk 27,000 a maund. This year small and medium cattle are selling at Tk 32,000 to Tk 35,000 a maund and large cattle at Tk 30,000 to Tk 32,000, though most traders start by asking more.

Demand at the market is now highest for cattle priced between Tk 1.25 lakh and Tk 1.5 lakh. At the market's toll (hasil) booth, too, more small cattle were seen being registered.

Sabuj, a representative of the market's lease-holder, said 60-70 percent of the cattle registered are small. "But demand for big cattle may rise at the last minute, because keeping a big cow at home is a problem, so those who buy big cattle mostly take them near the end. A little buying and selling started last Thursday, but the main trading will be in the two days before Eid," he said.

Although prices are high at Aftabnagar, there is no shortage of supply, and buyer turnout is much lower in comparison.

Wahab Uddin of Natore brought 12 small cattle to the market, and a good number of buyers were seen looking at them. He said his smallest cow is priced at Tk 1 lakh 40 thousand and weighs a little over three maunds, and he has four cattle of three and a half maunds priced at Tk 1 lakh 60 thousand.

Asked whether the price was too high, he said: "These are cattle reared at home. Straw, husk and broken rice cost so much that even we cannot make it pay. Feed prices have risen abnormally, so cattle prices have risen too."

Gopal Chandra, who brought seven large cattle from Pabna to Aftabnagar, said: "My cattle are big, so sales are low. In three days I have sold four small cattle. Now I have six big ones left, and there are few buyers for them."

He wants to sell a 14-maund cow for Tk 5.5 lakh. "Nobody has even offered a price like that. I bought these at village markets at an average of Tk 32,000 a maund," he said.

Farmers are not very happy with the prices they are getting because of their higher costs, and with supply high, they are also worried about not getting the price they want in the end.

The largest cow at Aftabnagar as of Monday morning was brought by Fahad Islam Abid. Named Tro-Spider, the 35-maund animal was raised on his farm in Chandpur.

"I am asking Tk 15 lakh for the cow, but that is not fixed. Buyers are coming and making offers. So far the offers have gone up to Tk 7 lakh," Abid said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.