Glut of sacrificial animals in Tangail cattle markets

Low prices disappoint cattle farmers

Cattle markets are seeing a huge supply of sacrificial animals in ‘haats’ and bazaars in Tangail district’s 12 upazilas. The abundant supply has also pushed prices down over the past few days.

 Buyers have begun purchasing with only a few days left before Edul Azha. Cattle from India, Nepal and different parts of Bangladesh are brought to Tangail, as it is riverine district and the Dhaka-Bangabandhu Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge highway passes through it. This year, the low prices have disappointed farm owners.

 Bijoy Kumer Nag, district live stock officer, told this correspondent that there were 1,422 dairy farms in the district, rearing 736,630 heads of cattle, 6,273 buffalos, 283,947 goats, and 95,600 rams.

Some people have also taken taken up cow-fattening programmes. The district is self-sufficient as far as sacrificial animals are concerned. It is also in a position to supply animals to other districts.

 The buyers here are interested in buying country-reared and not bulky cattle. As a result, the small and medium-size cows are being mostly sold.

The trend has left farmers and traders worried as a large number of fattened cows have been brought for sale.

Imported and smuggled cattle, too, have flooded the market, keeping prices low compared to last year’s.

Some buyers at the Gobindashi, Madhupur, and Dhanbari haats said that a sizeable number of cattle had been sold on Sunday and Monday.

Motaleb Hossain, a marginal farmer from Mominpur village, sold his medium-size ox at the Dhanbari haat for Tk 50,000. It could have fetched Tk 55,000 a week earlier.

Small oxen were being sold for Tk 35,000–40,000, medium-size bulls for Tk 50,000–60,000 and large-oxen for Tk 80,000 and onwards.

Most buyers are said to buy sacrificial animals jointly, though goats are picked up by individual buyers.

Minhaz Ali, a cow farmer of Salikha village under the Madhupur upazila, said he had to spend a good sum of money to rear his two bulls. But the prices prevailing in the market has left him disheartened. Farmers would lose interest in cattle rearing, if cattle smuggling were to continue ahead of Edul Azha, he said.

Abdul Karim Papari of village Boali under Madhupur upazila told this correspondent that if the prices were to fall further, traders and farmers would lose their working capital.

Our Thakurgaon correspondent adds:  Cattle markets in the border district of Thakurgaon and its five upazilas have gained momentum with numerous buyers flocking the markets to pick from hundreds of sacrificial animals in the last few days before Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival for the Muslims.

Cattle traders said there was no dearth of supply but prices were high compared to last year’s.

This was partly because many farmers had lost their animals during the recent floods, others did not get the time to prepare their animals for the market, and good cattle were not coming from India, said Rafiqul Islam, a cattle trader, who came from Narayanganj.

A visit to the haats at Khochabari, Matherganj haat, Shibjanj haat and Gorea and others cattle markets of the Sadar upazila revealed that the prices of a small cows ranged from Tk 25,000 to 30,000, the price of an ideal sized cow or buffalo was between Tk 30,000 and Tk 75,000, and the price of large cows and buffalo was between Tk 70,000 to 150,000. A sheep or a goat could be purchased for Tk 5,000 to 25,000.

In addition to the Thakurgaon district’s biggest cattle market, Matherganj haat, some temporary markets have been set up at Sanur, Salangor, and Gorea. But the prices of the animals are rather high compared to those of previous years.

Glut of sacrificial animals in Tangail cattle markets

Low prices disappoint cattle farmers

Cattle markets are seeing a huge supply of sacrificial animals in haats and bazaars in Tangail districts 12 upazilas. The abundant supply has also pushed prices down over the past few days. Buyers have begun purchasing with only a few days left before Edul Azha. Cattle from India, Nepal and different parts of Bangladesh are brought to Tangail, as it is riverine district and the Dhaka-Bangabandhu Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge highway passes through it. This year, the low prices have disappointed farm owners. Bijoy Kumer Nag, district live stock officer, told this correspondent that there were 1,422 dairy farms in the district, rearing 736,630 heads of cattle, 6,273 buffalos, 283,947 goats, and 95,600 rams. Some people have also taken taken up cow-fattening programmes. The district is self-sufficient as far as sacrificial animals are concerned. It is also in a position to supply animals to other districts. The buyers here are interested in buying country-reared and not bulky cattle. As a result, the small and medium-size cows are being mostly sold. The trend has left farmers and traders worried as a large number of fattened cows have been brought for sale. Imported and smuggled cattle, too, have flooded the market, keeping prices low compared to last years. Some buyers at the Gobindashi, Madhupur, and Dhanbari haats said that a sizeable number of cattle had been sold on Sunday and Monday. Motaleb Hossain, a marginal farmer from Mominpur village, sold his medium-size ox at the Dhanbari haat for Tk 50,000. It could have fetched Tk 55,000 a week earlier. Small oxen were being sold for Tk 35,00040,000, medium-size bulls for Tk 50,00060,000 and large-oxen for Tk 80,000 and onwards. Most buyers are said to buy sacrificial animals jointly, though goats are picked up by individual buyers. Minhaz Ali, a cow farmer of Salikha village under the Madhupur upazila, said he had to spend a good sum of money to rear his two bulls. But the prices prevailing in the market has left him disheartened. Farmers would lose interest in cattle rearing, if cattle smuggling were to continue ahead of Edul Azha, he said. Abdul Karim Papari of village Boali under Madhupur upazila told this correspondent that if the prices were to fall further, traders and farmers would lose their working capital. Our Thakurgaon correspondent adds: Cattle markets in the border district of Thakurgaon and its five upazilas have gained momentum with numerous buyers flocking the markets to pick from hundreds of sacrificial animals in the last few days before Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival for the Muslims. Cattle traders said there was no dearth of supply but prices were high compared to last years. This was partly because many farmers had lost their animals during the recent floods, others did not get the time to prepare their animals for the market, and good cattle were not coming from India, said Rafiqul Islam, a cattle trader, who came from Narayanganj. A visit to the haats at Khochabari, Matherganj haat, Shibjanj haat and Gorea and others cattle markets of the Sadar upazila revealed that the prices of a small cows ranged from Tk 25,000 to 30,000, the price of an ideal sized cow or buffalo was between Tk 30,000 and Tk 75,000, and the price of large cows and buffalo was between Tk 70,000 to 150,000. A sheep or a goat could be purchased for Tk 5,000 to 25,000. In addition to the Thakurgaon districts biggest cattle market, Matherganj haat, some temporary markets have been set up at Sanur, Salangor, and Gorea. But the prices of the animals are rather high compared to those of previous years.