Cox's Bazar had a larger stock of sacrificial animals than it needed this year, yet high prices caused discontent among buyers. Local farmers, for their part, were unhappy about cattle entering through Teknaf and Naikhongchhari on the Myanmar border. Overall, significant numbers of sacrificial animals were bought and sold at almost every market, but there was a scramble for medium and small cattle at all of them.

According to the district livestock office, 151,622 animals had been prepared for sale for this Eid ul-Adha, against demand in the district for 140,923. The animals for sale included 100,452 cattle, 5,094 buffalo, 35,407 goats and 10,669 sheep. Animals are being traded at 90 markets in the district, 38 permanent and 52 temporary, and 27 medical teams are checking animals for sale. In the final days, sales at every market have been good.

A K M Jahangir and Muhammad Yunus Khan, who came to buy sacrificial animals at Eidgaon market on Tuesday afternoon (27 June), said most buyers wanted medium and small local cattle, so cattle weighing two and a half to three maunds were expensive. Cattle of this size sold for Tk 90,000 to 1,10,000.

Minhaj Ahmed, who came from Cox's Bazar town to buy an animal at Eidgaon market, said the supply of buffalo was good this year, with all sizes on sale. Families where someone has health problems with beef seemed to be rushing to buy buffalo for sacrifice, he said. "People used to buy few buffalo, but this time the buffalo market is crowded too."

Junayed, who came to buy an animal at the Eidgaon market, said prices this year had broken all previous records. "Cattle that sell for Tk 40,000 at other times are selling for Tk 85,000 to 90,000 this time. If an animal looks a little nicer and healthier, sellers ask far more. I have gone round so many markets and still have not bought. On Wednesday I will have to buy whatever the price."

He was not alone: many others were waiting for the last market because of high prices. Seasonal animal seller Sahab Uddin said that although the district had more animals than it needed, dishonest traders were making extra money by claiming a shortage. Whatever the price, he expected buyers to crowd the last market on Wednesday.

Mohammad Shafiq, owner of RCG Agro in the Kharulia area of Jhilongja, Cox's Bazar, caused a stir by bringing his bull "Rajababu", weighing about 18 maunds, to market. He asked Tk 12 lakh for it. A buyer offered Tk 6 lakh 70 thousand, but Shafiq said he would not even cover his costs if he sold for less than Tk 7.5 lakh.

While the cattle markets were busy, people travelling on the highway suffered badly. Because the old Eidgaon and Kharulia cattle markets sit on the highway, traffic jams from 11am until night caused misery for travellers at both places. Although the administration warned it would be strict if markets were held beside the road, trading has so far gone on right on the road. Locals are demanding that the markets be moved elsewhere.

Many people also said cattle from Myanmar had entered illegally through several areas on the Ramu and Naikhongchhari border, and farmers claim many were deprived of fair prices as a result.

Ramu police station officer-in-charge (OC) Anwarul Hossain said RAB and BGB were on strict duty to stop smuggled cattle entering the sacrificial animal markets at Garjania in Ramu and at Naikhongchhari. Some cattle and buffalo came in by smuggling routes at the start, but this has stopped completely in recent days, he said.

Md Zahid Iqbal, additional deputy commissioner (revenue) of Cox's Bazar, said animals were being traded peacefully at the markets, and he hoped there would be no problems on the last day either. Those with space to keep animals had bought early, and those without would buy on Wednesday, he said.

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