Sacrificial animal markets are coming alive in Sirajganj. Permission has been given this year for markets at 57 sites in the district's nine upazilas, and sales have begun. But buyers and sellers have various complaints about prices.

At the Chandaikona market in Raiganj upazila, the atmosphere was lively. Thousands of sacrificial animals were tied to rows of bamboo posts, while buyers and sellers haggled loudly over prices.

Aktar Hossain, who came to buy cattle, told Jago News: "Many of us who make the sacrifice don't have space to keep cattle, so every year we buy the animal two or three days before Eid. Today I'm only checking prices."

According to the district livestock office, about 6.25 lakh sacrificial animals have been fattened on 17,134 farms in the district this year: 173,110 bulls, 33,605 bullocks, 15,717 cows, 3,681 buffalo, 338,235 goats and 60,580 sheep. Markets have been set up at 57 places in the district to sell them, 28 of them temporary.

Abdul Momin of Sadar upazila, who came to buy at Chandaikona, told Jago News that more local-breed cattle were coming to the market than last time. "The cattle look very good too, but the price seems a little high."

Farmer Osman Shekh brought 10 cattle from Dinajpur. He told Jago News: "Dhaka traders come to the Chandaikona market, so I brought 10 bulls. After a lot of bargaining, traders took seven and ordinary buyers took three." But because cattle feed costs more, he did not make much profit, he claimed.

Traders and leaseholders at markets in Sirajganj Sadar, Ullapara and Shahjadpur said more local-breed cattle had come to market than last time, but cattle prices were a little higher than before because the cost of fattening livestock had risen.

Shahidul Islam, leaseholder of the Chandaikona market, told Jago News that sacrificial animals had gathered at the market over the past few days, and the market had become busy with buyers. At least 1,500 cattle were sold there from morning to afternoon on Sunday, he said.

District livestock officer Dr Md Omar Faruk told Jago News that veterinary medical teams run by the Department of Livestock Services are supervising in every upazila so that sick or diseased animals are not bought and sold at the markets.

Deputy Commissioner Mir Mahbubur Rahman said markets in the district that had not been leased had been shut down. If a market is held anywhere without a lease, or irregularities are reported at a market, legal action will be taken, he said.

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