With Eid-ul-Azha knocking on the door, the peril of searching for skilled butchers is akin to finding the right animal for offering Qurbani. A proficient butcher comes with the assurance that the sacrifice and the meat processing will go smoothly.
But with an enormous lack of trained butchers in the country, finding the right group can be quite a task and is often a bit hard on the pocket, leading many to hire amateurs.
Still, the number of animal sacrifices in the country is rising every year, and so is the demand for skilled butchers, leading many to give the profession an institutionalised business form.
Nowadays, butchers are available for hire from various firms, meat shops, and even online. In addition, the opportunity of a good income is increasingly attracting many to work as seasonal butchers on the side of their main job.
Shortage of skilled butchers
According to the Ministry of Animal Resources, a total of 99.5 lakh animals, including cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep, were sacrificed in the country last year, which was 90.93 lakh in the previous year.
This year, some 1.04 crore animals are estimated to be sacrificed during the Eid-ul-Azha, one of the major Muslim religious festivals. Out of this, cows and buffaloes account for about 40 per cent or 42 lakh.
According to industry insiders, it takes a group of 3-5 professional or trained butchers to slaughter and process an animal in 2-3 hours. A group can process at least two animals in a day.
However, the number of professional butchers in Bangladesh stands at some 16 lakh.
Bangladesh Meat Traders Association data shows that there are about 6 lakh meat shops across the country, where some 15 lakh people work as butchers or meat workers.
Besides, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has so far trained 1 lakh professionals and non-professionals in animal slaughtering, skinning and meat processing. Meaning, there is a shortage of 84-85 lakh trained butchers in the country this Eid-ul-Azha.
However, the huge gap in professional butcher supply and demand is not expected to affect animal sacrifices as most people in the rural areas use amateurs or seasonal butchers. Some even do the work themselves. Also, many people tend to offer the sacrifice on the second day of Eid, which will reduce the pressure further.
Speaking about the butcher shortage, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services Dr Md Emdadul Haque Talukder said, “It is not possible to meet this huge demand suddenly or in a year or two, it has to be done gradually. However, those who offer Qurbani can do so on the second day without creating pressure on the day of Eid. Besides, this pressure will be reduced even if they themselves participate in the work.
“We are training butchers every year. So far, we have trained 1 lakh butchers. This year alone, 31,799 professional and amateur butchers have been trained.”
Rise of online butcher business
For a long time, the trade of slaughtering animals and dressing their flesh during Eid-ul-Azha remained confined within local, seasonal butchers. But with the rise of online marketplaces, butchers are taking their profession to the next level. Many have begun operating their business through websites or social media accounts.
In return for a fixed fee, these groups work for three days of Eid. They offer slaughtering services to meat processing and even home delivery. On average, they charge 10-15 per cent of the total price of the cattle they will work on for their service. Meaning, for a Tk 1 lakh cow, one will have to pay the butchers some Tk 15,000-20,000 during Eid season. The fees are a bit lower during the off season.
“I have been supplying butchers since 2016. Initially, I had only 50 professional butchers in my group. Now there are about 150,” said Sulaiman Hossain, owner of a Facebook page named Butcher Shop Kosai Supply that supplies butchers for slaughtering services.
He said, “Last year, I provided services at 123 spots. Worked on multiple animals in each spot. I hope it will increase this year as our demand is increasing every year.
“We have already received some 32 bookings for Eid day. A few more bookings for after the Eid day.”
Sulaiman said they charge Tk 180 for per Tk 1,000 of a cattle’s price in the morning of the Eid day and Tk 150 in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, butchers who are not under a banner, charge Tk 8,000-15,000 for per cattle depending on the size
Too costly
In the meantime, consumers complained that the fee charged by professional butchers is too much.
They alleged this fee is four to five times of what a meat worker earns by working all day in a regular meat shop.
The extravagant fee has caused many to rethink their plan for Qurbani and drove many towards hiring non-professional and seasonal butchers.
Alamgir Hosen, a resident of Rampura area, said the price of sacrificial animals is increasing every year. On top of it, having to pay the butchers such high fees are discouraging many middle-income families from offering sacrifices.
He said, “Last year, I could not afford a butcher as they asked for excessive fees. It feels like they are taking money by holding us hostages amid the butcher shortage.
“I had to process the sacrificial animals with the help of local people who perform the slaughtering during the season. I do not know what I will do this year.”
Bangladesh Meat Traders Association Secretary General Rabiul Alam said, “Among the members of the association, who are involved in the preparation of sacrificial animal meat in different places, they charge Tk 8,000-15,000 depending on the size of the cattle.
“The number of animal sacrifices are increasing but the number of professional butchers is not. As the gap between demand and supply of butchers widens, many farms have taken up initiatives to train their employees for the task.”
