Meherpur has prepared 1,90,520 animals for Eid-ul-Azha against district demand for 90,112. The surplus 1,00,408 animals will be sold in different parts of the country, and the district's cattle markets are already busy.

This year a bull named 'Rajababu' has caught attention in the district. It was raised by farmer Insan Ali of Monakhali village in Mujibnagar upazila, who is asking Tk 35 lakh for the 60-maund animal.

At last year's Eid, buyers offered up to Tk 15 lakh for the bull, but the owner did not sell at that price, hoping to see Rajababu among the best animals in the country.

Insan Ali said he bought Rajababu for only Tk 85,000 four years ago and has raised it with great care since then. Its weight has now risen to over 60 maunds and it stands 8 feet tall. The Friesian bull costs a thousand taka a day to keep, and people crowd round every day to see it. He said he will sell it if he gets Tk 35 lakh.

Sahabuddin, a farmer in Ballabpur village of Mujibnagar upazila, said he is raising 13 cattle for the Eid this year. One large animal weighs about 1,600 kg (40 maunds) and is priced at Tk 14 lakh; he also has cattle priced from Tk 1.5 lakh to Tk 5 lakh.

Michael Twis Mondal, a farmer in Ratanpur village, said he had 30 cattle on his farm last year but raised eight this year because of the rise in cattle feed prices.

Farmer Liton Hossain told Jagonews24 that he has prepared 13 cattle of different sizes and prices, and hopes to get fair prices for them.

District livestock officer Saidur Rahman said all necessary arrangements have been made for selling sacrificial animals. Farmers in the district have prepared 1,90,520 animals, of which about 50,000 are cattle and 1,26,069 goats.

He said the district's demand is for 90,112 animals, and the surplus 1,00,408 will be sold in various parts of the country, especially in the capital's cattle markets.

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