Gabtoli cattle market sees supply fall
With only five days to go before Eid-ul-Azha, sacrificial animals are yet to arrive in significant numbers at Gabtoli, the largest and permanent cattle market of the capital.
Cattle traders said huge losses last year and a very poor number of customers this year so far had prompted them not to bring in animals in large numbers.
In addition, the prices are higher comparing with last year's.
"We have to buy a medium-sized bull with Tk 10,000 to Tk 20,000 more than last year's price, while the big ones cost Tk 20,000 to Tk 30,000 higher," said Anowar Hossain, a trader who suffered a Tk 11 lakh loss last year.
He added that the losses had forced many traders to rear a less number of cattle this year. "While 200 bulls were reared in our village, in Mirpur of Kushtia, last year, the number is around 100 this year," he said.
Rubel Miyan, who brought two bulls from Sylhet and is planning to bring 15 more to Dhaka, said the supply of Indian and Nepali livestock was smaller this year, a contributor to the price hike. "I had to pay an additional Tk 20,000 to Tk 30,000 for a bull I bought for Tk 1 lakh last year," he said.
Abu Taher, a resident of Savar, bought a bull at Tk 51,000 at Gabtali but he thought he paid around Tk 7,000 higher this year.
Like bulls, goats, Dumbas (fat-tailed sheep), camels, and "butti" cattle (small-sized healthy cattle) are also selling at higher prices.
Azad Bepari, who brought eight camels from Rajasthan of India, out of the total 19 camels in the market, said he had already sold five at Tk 4 lakh to Tk 6.2 lakh each.
Several large goats, including one priced at Tk 1.3 lakh, are on sale at the market.
"I've brought 40 large goats from Kushtia but only one has sold," said Karim Ali, observing that there were fewer buyers this year.
Anzam Ali, who brought 22 "butti" cattle and 10 Dumbas from India, said a Dumba cost between Tk 2 lakh and Tk 6.5 lakh and a "butti" cow between Tk 2 lakh and Tk 65,000.
Meanwhile, unlike Gabtoli, the 16 makeshift markets in the capital are seeing a surge of supplies.
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