There is no shortage of cattle in any of the markets in Barisal before the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. The Barisal livestock department said there are over three lakh sacrificial animals in about 36,000 farms in Barisal. It assured that the region has five times the requirement of sacrificial animals for the festival.
Large quantities of local cattle have been coming to the local markets from different villages of Barisal. Some cattle traders are demanding high rates from customers, citing rising transportation costs and cattle feed expenses.
After visiting eight cattle markets, Manobendra Lal Das, divisional livestock officer of Barisal, told The Independent that there is no shortage of sacrificial cattle in Barisal. "We've at least three lakh sacrificial animals, including cows, goats, sheep and buffalos, in this region," he affirmed.
Khaled Saifullah, a cattle farmer of Dinar area, said he is eyeing a minimum profit of Tk. 5 lakh. He confirmed the high demand for local cattle.
 The Barisal City Corporation has permitted seven cattle markets, including two permanent ones, this year. Sales, however, are yet to gain momentum at the cattle markets. Abdus Salam, a trader at the city's Baghia cattle market, said yesterday (Tuesday) that many casual customers were visiting the market for comparing prices of sacrificial animals.