Cattle markets see more visitors than buyers

With only two days left before Eid-ul-Azha, sellers at several cattle markets in the capital say more people are visiting and enquiring about prices than buying.

But they hope sales will increase soon, most likely from Thursday night (tonight) onwards.

Shahjahanpur cattle market lessee Abdul Latif told The Business Post on Wednesday cows had been arriving from different parts of the country for the last two days, which would continue till the day before Eid.

“But people are still more interested in checking out sacrificial animals and enquiring about prices than buying,” he said, hoping buyers would be able to afford the animals of their choices.

A group of five sellers coming from Rangpur unloaded 22 cows from a truck at the market. One of them, Md Shahidullah, said they had brought the cows to Dhaka expecting higher profits.

The prices of their cows ranged between Tk 95,000 and Tk 2.5 lakh. They said they would make good profits if they could sell the animals at the desired prices.

Another trader Abdul Kuddus said he had arrived from Jhenaidah with 18 cows on Monday night but had not yet made a single sale.

Businessman Azizur Rahman, a resident of Khilgaon, was enquiring about cattle prices at the market. He said prices were higher compared to the previous year. But he expected prices would fall slightly and he would make a purchase then.

A similar situation was observed at the Kamalapur-Gopibagh-Mugda cattle market. Shah Jamal, a representative of the market, told The Business Post Dhaka dwellers usually buy cows a day or two before Eid as they do not have enough spaces to keep the animals.

“That is why trade at the market has not gained momentum yet,” he said.

He also said sales would increase from Thursday night onwards as that would be the last workday before Eid.

Businessman Hamidur Rahman, a resident of Mugda, said cow prices were almost twice as much as that last year.

He said traders were demanding higher prices citing rising feed and rearing costs.

Retired banker Mohiuddin Mridha, who came to the market from Gopibagh, said he would just enquire about prices and would buy later.

“But I am confused. Given the high prices of animals, I am not sure whether I can buy one within my affordability,” he said.

He also said he might have to increase his budget.

There will be 22 cattle markets, including in Gabtoli and Sarulia, in areas under the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) this year. Of them, 12 are under DSCC and 10 are under DNCC.