News
Monday, October 14, 2013
Sacrificial market: a competition among best breeds
By Andaleeb Rizvi
KARACHI: It is that time of the year again when Muslims prepare to commemorate Hazrat Ibrahim's sacrifice in the name of God. Eidul Azha is around the corner and as is the routine each year, thousands of animals arrive in Karachi from all over Pakistan.
As per the organisers and cattle owners, this time, the market has far more variety of animals to offer as compared to previous years; however, the famous yak from the Karakorum Mountains, have not been brought due to intense heat.
People from Tharparkar, Nawabshah, Sahiwal, Sibbi and Quetta arrive in the city of opportunities, Karachi, to sell their cattle. The cattle available in the market are not only domestic, but traders have imported them from as far as Australia and Kabul as well as USA in large numbers.
Although some of the international species available in the market have been farmed locally, said Sindh Farm owner Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh. Proudly showing off his prize bull, brought from Tharparkar, he said, "It has the longest horns in the whole market, and its price is at least Rs 0.5 million."
On a question if this is the most expensive animal in his lot, he pointed to a large Australian bull, and said that one of the same breed was sold at Rs 1.5 million. Shaikh is not only a trader, but is also involved in animal husbandry, breeding several local and international species of cows.
Explaining about the import of cattle from Australia, he said the newborns brought to the farm weigh at least 45 kilograms compared to the local breed calves that are hardly 8 kilograms.
Another trader, Saleem, contradicting Shaikh said he sells his Australian bulls between Rs 1.8 million to Rs 1.2 million, and not a penny less. Moreover, he said the sales were better for Australian bulls in contrast to 2012.
While the big farm owners seemed happy about sales, an independent farmer, Sanwar Khan Rind, from Mithi, Tharparkar was unsure if his "Thari bulls" will be sold at the price he demanded. "I raised them at home and it cost me Rs 20,000 each, just transport the animals to Karachi. If I don't get at least Rs 0.1 million each for these two bulls, my whole trip will be a waste," he said worriedly.
The cattle market for cows and bulls had far less animals compared to the previous Sunday, as Eid is near. However, animals from Punjab are still being brought at the market.
Muhammad Zafar who runs the Punjab Farm in Sahiwal said he has lost count of the animal he sold this year. His final consignment arrived on Saturday, comprising at least 80 animals. "My prize bull is a local Sahiwal breed and the cost is Rs 0.7 million," he said. The bull was 10-year-old, said Zafar, explaining he was rented to stud farms.
Among the large animal market, the best bulls were from Sibbi, related the happy trader Abdus Samad who bought the winner bull at Sibbi Mela 2013, an act to increase market value as a cattle trader. "I will not sell this bull even if someone paid me Rs 2.5 million," he said, adding that out of the total 35 bulls that be brought to the market only one was left.
Noor Muhammad, a dairy farm owner from Sibbi, standing next to Samad was willing to pay Rs 2.5 million for the prize bull right there and then, but his offer was refused. "I breed cows, and this bull would be the prefect addition to my farm. But Samad is being stubborn," Noor said with excitement.
The hustle bustle of the cattle market was different inside the goat and sheep section. Most of the goat and sheep farmers seemed unhappy with not only the management, but also the attitude of buyers.
Muhammad Shahid was concerned if he would make any profit this year. "I brought 112 goats, and about 40 to 50 are still not sold. Which means, I might even go in a loss," he said.
Although, Shahid said business was bad, he still sold his best buck at Rs 0.12 million, but his sale could not be compared at all with the business Silver Goat Farm owner Umar did.
"Hum sa ho to saamnay aaye" was the most expensive buck sold at the market, priced Rs 0.18 million. The second competitor was a ram called Prince. "I will charge Rs 0.14 million for this animal," Umar said.
Among all the local Pakistani traders, one was Haji Subaidar, from Kabul. "I import sheep from Afghanistan, and Sher Jan is my middle man, who sells at the market," said Subaidar worriedly, while relating that out of the 50 animals, he's still left with 20.
"This year, sales are not good," he concluded.
Mangal Khan, a farmer from Quetta, selling the same breed said, "I breed the animals in Quetta and sell them annually in Karachi," Khan said, adding that of his 10 sheep, only one was sold. Though smaller animal traders were unhappy, those selling camels were excited, as the buyers seem keener in buying this ship of the desert.
Sakhi Muhammad, selling the famed "black camels", among the regular ones said he brought 175 animals, of which 80 were already sold at an average price of Rs 0.1 million. "My prize camel was sold at Rs 0.45 million," he said, while getting a design made on one of his camels by the lone stylist Ali Hasan from Nawabshah. Using the scissors skilfully to make a pattern on the camel's hair, Hasan said, "I charge maximum Rs 5,000 per camel, and have been using this skill for the past 15 years."
Although, Hasan only spoke in his native language, Sindhi, he was excitedly sharing his experience of making Thari patterns on the camels, a skill he learnt from his father.
Whilst the number of Thari bulls is not too high, camels are mostly brought from the Thar Desert in Sindh.
Shahid, a camel trader from Islamkot, Thar was not too keen to talk to the media. For him his routine business does not hold as many interesting stories. "Sales are higher this year, compared to the past. This year the only new feature is the 'artificially coloured black camel', higher in demand, but same in price compared to the regular one," he said disinterestedly, while pointing towards a trader, selling white camels.
Shah Ali, from Sanghar was selling white camels that are grown on farms. "I bought these animals between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 from Layyah (Punjab) when they were calves," he said, adding that most of the animals were at least three years old.
Selling animals raised at home, is a difficult task for Ali, but Saeeda, who was sitting outside the camel section, was happily feeding the family's prized goat. "We come every year together as a family from interior Sindh to sell our home-raised animals in Karachi," she said, while her mother fed crushed red-wheat to a buck.
"This fellow (buck) used to sit on a charpoy at home, which is why he is very upset at the moment," said Saeeda's father Dilawar, as he soothed the animal.
The festivities of Eidul Azha, and the activities at the cattle market are gaining momentum as the final day of sacrifice approaches. The sales for people involved in related smaller businesses like selling animal fodder, decoration items and conveyance is also increasing, along with food stalls and dhabas.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk