Unsold sacrificial animals now burden for farmers

Drastic fall in prices of sacrificial animals in the last couple of days before Eid-ul-Azha stunned the several thousand cattle farmers, traders and farm owners in the district who reared those animals.

“We're in a great dilemma as a giant ox or bull needs food costing at least Tk 200 daily, and if we feed the unsold cattle as per requirement for longer period it will increase our loss, but if we don't supply their fodder they will lose weight, which will also make us losers,” said cattle farmer Mohabbat Hossain of Kisamater char village in Dimla upazila.

Cattle trader Solaiman Ali of Keshba village in Kishoreganj  upazila bought eight medium and big-sized cows and  oxen from marginal farmers  and took them to a big cattle market in Nilphamari on August 19, where buyers tried to persuade him to sell each cattle at Tk 90,000 to Tk 95,000 which he refused.

“In order to get higher profit, I took them to another famous market, Dhela Pirer Haat in Sadar upazila, on August 21, but there I experienced a bolt from the blue as buyers were unwilling to pay more than Tk 65,000 for the same cattle,” he lamented.

Solaiman somehow managed to sell four medium-sized cows at purchase price, but four big-sized oxen remained unsold as he was likely to incur loss of Tk 25,000 to Tk 30,000 per animal if the offered prices were accepted.

He also had to pay additional Tk 600 against each cattle as transport cost.

“Cattle farmers and traders brought at least 20,000 cattle to our market, but of them only 15%-16% have been sold and the rest were taken back as owners did not want to incur heavy loss, which is highest in the last 30 years,” said Mahabul Islam, lessee of Nilphamari cattle market.

Cattle farm owner Russel Hossain, 35, of Purba Satnai village in Dimla upazila, said, "Dodging law enforcers and ignoring restrictions, smugglers brought a good number of cattle into the country, which might be a cause for the fall in cattle prices."

Cattle farmers Ashadul Islam, 45, of Jaldhaka upazila, and Abdul Bariz, 50, of Saidpur upazila, said they want to sell their remaining reared cattle at a minimum suitable price as soon as possible to avoid further loss as keeping for long would add to the cost.

District Livestock Officer Md Monakka Ali refuted the allegation of smuggling of Indian cattle into the country and said farmers prepared 62,000 cattle this year against demand for 50,000, causing a surplus as there are 793 big and medium cattle farms in the district.

“A good number of marginal farmers using family labour reared one to two cattle each without our knowledge, and making the number of animals higher than the demand. It is time to look for alternates markets abroad,” he further said.