Rita Nahar, who lives in Dhanmondi in the capital, has bought a small cow for Tk 70,000. Unsure whether she was cheated or got a good deal, she is asking several people: "Brother, is the price all right?" Like her, Fakhrul Raju of Mirpur has bought a cow for Tk 67,000.

Raju said small cattle with two maunds of meat or a little more cannot be bought for less than Tk 60,000 this year, whereas last year such cattle were available for Tk 40,000 to 45,000.

At the temporary market at Eastern Housing in Mirpur on Thursday, 7 July, trucks carrying cattle from various districts were arriving every few minutes, and buyers and onlookers were crowding round. Sellers were asking more than Tk 1 lakh 20 thousand for medium cattle with more than three maunds of meat, and Tk 60,000 to 70,000 for small cattle with two maunds. Sellers complain buyers are not offering fair prices; buyers say sellers are asking too much, at least Tk 20,000 more per animal.

Besides cattle, the market has goats and sheep, for which sellers are asking the same as the market price of goat meat.

Trader Ujjwal Mia has brought 10 small cattle from Alamdanga in Chuadanga, each weighing about 80 to 100kg. He bought three of them this month. "I've asked up to Tk 70,000-80,000. Everyone is quoting last year's price of Tk 40,000-45,000, but it isn't possible to sell at that this year. It won't go below Tk 60,000. We bought at higher prices, and animal feed is also expensive," he told Jago News.

Abdul Kuddus, a trader from Tarail in Kishoreganj, has brought nine cattle, each of which he claims has more than three maunds of meat. He is asking over Tk 1 lakh 20 thousand for them.

Shafiqul Islam, a trader from Bakshiganj in Jamalpur, has brought 11 medium-sized cattle. Claiming each will yield more than four maunds of meat, he is asking Tk 1 lakh 30 thousand to Tk 1.5 lakh. "The market is hard to read now. At the prices being offered there'll be no profit. But I'll have to sell even at a loss," he said.

Mohammad Kamal Hossain has brought big cattle to the Eastern Housing market. "The market still can't be read. Buyers are offering low prices like last time and want cheap cattle. I'm asking Tk 2 lakh 10 thousand for a cow that will yield six and a half maunds of meat, and I'll let it go for Tk 1 lakh 80 thousand. But buyers won't go above a lakh and a half," he said.

Bank officer Sadat Hossain, who came to buy a cow, said: "Tomorrow (Friday) is a holiday, and lots of cattle will come. Prices may fall a little then. Right now sellers are holding prices up, asking Tk 20,000-30,000 more depending on the animal."

Himu, a toll collector at the Eastern Housing market, told Jago News buyers were few that day, with tolls being paid on 10-12 cattle an hour. As the weekly holiday starts tomorrow, buyers will increase, and he expects most Qurbani animals to be sold on Friday and Saturday.

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