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Cattle farmers, particularly those breeding larger animals, are anxious ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, as the trend towards sacrificing smaller animals has increased over the past few years due to soaring inflation in the country.
They said that the majority of the cattle unsold at last year's Eid-ul-Azha were large, and a similar situation might be seen this year as well.
Cattle farmers noted that the main reason for the large number of animals remaining unsold last year was a decrease in purchasing power, a problem that persists this year due to ongoing inflation.
Additionally, the preference for sacrificing smaller animals alone rather than sharing larger ones among multiple sacrifices has grown, leading to a decrease in large cattle buyers.
According to the Department of Livestock Services (DLS), out of the 12.536 million animals designated for sacrifice in 2023, only 10,041,812 were actually sacrificed, leaving 2,494,521 unsold. In 2022, the number of unsold animals was 2,169,717.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock predicts that 13 million animals will be available for sacrifice this year.
Shah Imran Shah, general secretary of the Bangladesh Dairy Farmers’ Association, expressed concerns over sales, "There was a time when we worried about having enough animals for sacrifice; now we worry if we can sell all the animals prepared for sacrifice. The general populace’s incomes haven’t kept pace with inflation, impacting the demand for sacrificial animals."
"Many people now choose to sacrifice alone to avoid issues of social status or complications. However, if sacrifices of the same income level pooled resources, they could afford larger animals, which is becoming increasingly rare," he added.
According to the latest data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), inflation in the country rose to 9.81 per cent in March, slightly up from 9.67 per cent in February.
Cattle prices may drop
Farmers anticipate that cattle prices ahead of Eid-ul-Azha will be lower this year compared to last.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman said that the ministry is taking steps to mitigate price increases caused by middlemen and to prevent extortion.
He said, "An inter-ministerial meeting will be held to address these issues, and border officials will be instructed to ensure no cattle enter through illegal routes."
"We are fully prepared for Eid-ul-Azha, and the prime minister is also aware of this," he added.
Mohammad Imran Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association, mentioned that they planned to offer sacrificial animals at prices at least 5 per cent lower than last year.
"Due to a heatwave in late April, farmers have faced additional costs. However, even if prices do not decrease, they will not increase significantly with inflation. Essentially, prices will remain similar to last year," he said.
