Eid-ul-Azha falls on Thursday, and buyers are rushing to permanent and temporary markets to buy animals for sacrifice. In the capital, cattle and goat markets have spread for several kilometres along both sides of the road through Shanir Akhra, Rayerbagh, Kajla and Jatrabari.

Cattle began arriving in Dhaka from different parts of the country towards the end of last week, especially on Wednesday and Thursday. Early this week, on Saturday and Sunday, many buyers came to the markets to look at animals and check prices, but few bought.

From Tuesday (27 June) morning, however, buyers kept buying despite heavy rain. After two days of looking around, traders sold cattle at a greater or smaller profit. Buyers poured into the markets all day Tuesday, and the haggling and noise gave the markets a festive air. The crowds lasted through the afternoon and into the night, and many people bought their chosen animal early.

Visits to the markets over the past few days showed that sales were low early in the week but high on Tuesday. Sales began on Monday but comparatively few cattle were sold; more than half of the cattle in the market were sold on Tuesday. Rain started again from dawn on Wednesday (28 June). After 9am there was some relief, and buyers crowded in during the break.

On Wednesday morning (the report gives the date as 27 June) at the Rayerbagh and Shanir Akhra markets, plenty of cattle and goats had arrived at the seasonal market, as in other years. As before, buyers were most interested in medium-sized cattle. Most buyers' unease was over high prices, though some were paying a little more to avoid the risk of buying at the last minute.

Traders said the cost of animal feed has risen sharply and they are spending more on medicine for various diseases of cattle and goats. After covering the cost of rearing, they said, they will not make much profit this year, because once they have bought from villages at wholesale prices and paid for transport and market space, the balance tips towards loss.

Shahjahan Hawlader, who brought eight cattle to Shanir Akhra from Bhanga in Faridpur, told Jago News: "I do household work, and I buy calves, raise them and sell them as bulls at Eid. I sold four cattle on Tuesday and one this morning, five in all. I hope to sell the other three today."

Abdul Majid Mia came from Mujahid Nagar to buy cattle at Shanir Akhra. He told Jago News that plenty of cattle had arrived, but prices were a little higher than before, so buyers could not buy good cattle within their budget. "A cow that should cost Tk 80,000 is being offered at Tk 1 lakh 20,000," he said. "Compared with last Eid, prices are much higher. You have to pay Tk 30,000, 35,000, 40,000 or even 50,000 more for a cow of the same size."

Abdul Wahed, a trader who came from Magura, told Jago News he had brought 30 cattle, of which 15 large and medium animals were sold on Monday and Tuesday. He hopes to sell the remaining 10 today. He is not worried about profit or loss, as the cattle were raised by himself and his relatives.

Another trader from Bhanga in Faridpur told Jago News he had brought 12 cattle and sold 10 of them, each Tk 8,000 to 10,000 below what he expected. He still has two; when he asks Tk 2.5 lakh for the pair, buyers offer much less. "This time I've had to do business at a loss," he said.

A representative of Master Agro Farm told Jago News they brought 24 cattle to the market on Thursday and sold eight on Tuesday. Sixteen are still left, and they hope to sell them all today.

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