Eid-ul-Azha is just three days away, and Jamalpur's cattle markets are already busy. Cattle of all sizes are arriving, but buyers are heading for small cattle even though they cost a little more.

That was the picture at various markets in Sadar and Sarishabari upazilas of Jamalpur up to the evening of Tuesday, 5 July. The markets had animals of many breeds, large and small, from across the district. Buyers were coming and looking, and some were buying.

Sellers said that with a few days still left before Eid, trading had not fully picked up. Small local cattle priced between Tk 50,000 and 90,000 were selling most.

Buyer Fazar Ali said: "I came to the market for the first time today. Small cattle are a bit expensive. Big cattle are much cheaper than last time."

Seller Abdur Rahim said: "I raised several cattle as a hobby and brought them to market hoping for some profit. But people say the price is too high and nobody wants to buy."

Local seller Sayeed Hasan Bachchu said: "I bought seven cattle a year ago and sold them in the Eid market for Tk 8 lakh. I thought cattle prices would be much higher. Although feed prices have risen, cattle prices have not gone up this time."

Hossain Ahmed, union parishad member for Ward 8 of Awna union, said he had visited various cattle markets in the district over the past few days. Prices of medium cattle were more or less steady, but small cattle cost more because demand for them is higher. At that day's market he himself saw 8 to 10 cattle, and demand there too was a little higher for small ones.

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