Trading has picked up at the capital's cattle markets ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Alongside small and medium cows, huge local cows are catching buyers' eyes this year. Bahar Ali, a trader from Pabna, has brought two such big cows to the temporary market at Sun Valley Balur Math next to Aftabnagar. He claims one of the two Brahman-breed cows will yield about 25 maunds of meat and is asking Tk 11 lakh for it. The other will yield 22 to 23 maunds, and he wants Tk 10 lakh for it.

Curious people crowded around Bahar Ali's two cows. Some took photos on their phones, while others stood in amazement on hearing the price. Many walked around the big animals, and some asked the price and moved on.

Bahar Ali said the two cows were born of his own cows, and he had raised them with great care for about six years. Feeding one cow costs Tk 1,000 a day in the village. "Besides farm feed, they have mostly been fed natural food. I did not use any harmful drugs. I raised them with a lot of care," he said.

"One cow will yield about 25 maunds of meat, and I am asking Tk 11 lakh for it. The other will yield 22-23 maunds, and I want Tk 10 lakh for that. If someone takes both together, I will let them go for close to Tk 20 lakh," he said.

Bahar Ali claims one buyer has already offered Tk 15 lakh for the pair, but he refused. "Before bringing them to Dhaka, a trader in the village offered Tk 16 lakh. But I raised them with so much effort that I thought I might get a better price in Dhaka. That's why I brought them here," he said.

He arrived at the Sun Valley Balur Math market with the two cows last Saturday (23 May). At first he asked Tk 16 lakh for the larger cow and Tk 15 lakh for the smaller one, but with Eid approaching he is now asking somewhat less.

Many buyers at the market said interest in big cows was low this year. Fewer big cows have come to market, and traders are asking high prices for the few that have.

Badrul Islam Khokon, a businessman from Badda, said: "The two cows look very handsome. But Tk 10-11 lakh is beyond ordinary people's reach. I think the asking price is too high."

Another buyer, Nasir Uddin, said not many big cows were seen at the market this year, and those that had come were priced high. Small and medium cows were also expensive this year, he said. "The trader claims the big cow will give 25 maunds of meat, but I think it will give less. Very few people can afford to buy a cow for Tk 10-11 lakh. If a wealthy person likes them, he may buy the two. It is not possible for ordinary people to buy these cows."

Other traders at the market said demand for big cows was low this year and people were bargaining more over small and medium cows. But with transport and feed costs up, prices are a little higher than before, they said.

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