Livestock farms in Narayanganj are bustling ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, with buyers purchasing their chosen animals from the farms in advance. This year, pink albino buffalo have made it onto buyers' wish lists.

The albino buffalo is reportedly imported from various European countries, and buyers have already bought pink albino buffalo on the farms and are keeping them there.

Besides the farms, cattle have also started arriving at markets from different parts of the country.

Mehedi Hasan, manager of SS Cattle in Bandar, said: "Not only for Eid but all year round, buyers from different districts buy big buffalo from our farm, most of them from Dhaka and Chattogram. We have raised six breeds of large buffalo, and the pink albino buffalo is the most in demand. We are getting a good response, and people are coming from far away to see these buffalo."

According to the district livestock office, Narayanganj's five upazilas have 6,537 large and small farms, with 1,13,754 animals ready for the sacrifice. The district's demand is 1,03,047, leaving a surplus of 10,707.

The animals ready on farms include 61,899 bulls, 6,486 bullocks, 19,743 cows, 2,841 buffalo, 17,172 goats, 5,493 sheep and 127 other animals. Many of the buffalo are pink albinos.

Mehenuma Mehjabin, proprietor of SS Cattle Agro Farm, said: "We have all kinds of animals. Many animals on our farm were sold long ago, and demand is highest for the pink albino buffalo. We have never raised so many buffalo for Eid before. Last year we raised 25 pink buffalo and all of them were sold."

She said people who buy a pink buffalo once buy it again. "They have less fat than cattle, and the meat is of much better quality, which is why demand is high. Because of last year's demand we have raised 34 pink buffalo this year. We are already getting a lot of response and hope they will be sold."

Ziauddin Mridha, proprietor of Rabeya Agro Farm, said: "These buffalo are in demand because they are pink. I mainly raise cattle on my farm, but because of the demand for pink buffalo I started raising them this year. All the buffalo on my farm have been sold."

Bandar upazila livestock officer Dr Sarkar Ashraful Islam said he had seen pink albino buffalo on many farms in Bandar. "This buffalo is usually rather attractive, which is why many people are interested in it. Otherwise it has no distinct notable characteristics."

Narayanganj district livestock officer Dr Md Abdul Mannan Mia said Eid-ul-Azha is a holy festival that brings challenges for the district and upazila livestock offices, which they meet together with all stakeholders. "Our 25 veterinary teams are working at Narayanganj's markets. This year we have seen pink buffalo in many places in Narayanganj. It seems demand for pink buffalo is growing," he said.

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