A diminishing return for sheep, goat sellers this Bakrid

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

Sheep and goat sellers in Bengaluru claim this year’s Bakrid sales have been a disappointing one with low demand, reduced profit margins and some even incurred losses. They added that this was due to an increase in the prices of sheep and goats, following the state government’s implementation of stricter cattle slaughter laws from 2021.

The legislation has made it illegal to sell, buy and transport cattle, besides outlawing slaughter of cattle less than 13 years of age. This has led to a rise in the demand of sheep and goats and prices have shot up too.

Under Islamic law, it is obligatory for well-off Muslims to sacrifice an animal on Bakrid. While the slaughter of a bovine would cover seven people, the sacrifice of a sheep or a goat would only count against one person, making it a costly affair this year.

This time around, the ban on cattle slaughter has been implemented much more strictly. State Animal Husbandry Prabhu Chavan and Minority Welfare, Hajj and Waqf Department, apart from religious leaders of the Muslim community had appealed to community members to avoid cattle slaughter. Livestock traders said that last year they were able to acquire sheep and goats at cheaper prices for Bakrid.

Shahid, who is based in Chamrajpet, disclosed that he buys sheep from Ajmer in Rajasthan and that had suffered a loss of Rs 1 lakh due to some of the animals perishing during transportation. He said that he sold ‘Dumba,’ a breed of fat tailed sheep, adding that he had sold seven out of the 16 sheep he had brought, drawing a meagre profit.

“Their minds are still stuck in 2021 when the sheep were available for a cheaper price. This is not the case this time around. The animals that we bought for around Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 last year, we purchased for around Rs 15,000 this year, but customers are demanding last year’s price. They don’t know what’s happening. If I buy a large sheep for around Rs 22,500 , I am having to sell it for Rs 20,000 or so. At other times, my profit is around Rs 1,000 or Rs 1,500. This doesn’t even include the transportation cost,” Shahid said.

‘Price is not right’

Aqib, from Ilyas Nagar, said that he is an insurance agent and deals in sale of goats during his two-day weekend to add to his income. “This time around, the profits are too little. Some of my relatives (who do the same business) even suffered losses,” he said. “The goats that I had bought last year cost me Rs 18,000. The same cost me around Rs 25,000 this year. Profits have shrunk a lot. Transportation costs around Rs 1,000 per animal,” he added.He said that he acquired goats from Maharashtra.

Shivaraju, from Devaratoti village in Ramanagara district said that his profit margins had shrunk considerably; adding that Eid getting closer meant that there was an additional pressure to sell his animals. “If I buy a sheep (of the Nati variety) for Rs 11,000, I’m forced to sell it for Rs 10,000. There is little profit to be had,” he said.