The flood has hit the animal markets in Sunamganj. Eid is just a night away, yet the markets have not picked up. The grounds are full of sacrificial animals but there are hardly any buyers, leaving farmers and households worried.

About a hundred permanent and temporary animal markets have been set up across the district's 11 upazilas. Most of the cattle in them were raised by local farmers. Because of the flood, farmers and those who raised cattle for the sacrifice are worried: there are enough animals in the markets but few are selling for lack of buyers. Buyers, however, have no particular complaints about prices.

At the market at the Government Jubilee High School in Sunamganj town, the ground was filled to the brim with cattle and goats of all kinds, from small to large, but there was no crowd of buyers. A few came, asked prices and left.

Farmers said the markets had not picked up because of the flood. In other years buyers poured into this market; this year the days were passing without buyers, and the one or two who came did not agree on price. They are now worried about selling their cattle.

Waseem Ahmed, leaseholder of the Government Jubilee High School market, said: "We are running the market following all the rules set by the administration. There are enough animals but no buyers. We could lose a large amount of money."

Afzal Mia, who brought cattle to the ground, said: "I brought my cattle to the Sunamganj market with great difficulty. Eid is a night away and I still haven't sold. People are offering only Tk 60,000 to 65,000 for a Tk 1 lakh cow."

Tofazzal Mia, who also brought cattle, said: "I borrowed money in the month of Chaitra to marry off my daughter. I had one big cow and wanted to sell it at Eid to repay the loan. I've brought it to the market but there are no buyers at all. The few who come ask the price and leave. I don't know if I'll be able to sell it."

Md Zakir Hossain, deputy director of the local government branch in Sunamganj, said the markets had not picked up much this year because of the flood. "We have instructed market authorities to run the markets following health guidelines," he said.

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