Karachi: Thousands of sacrificial animals have been arriving at the sprawling makeshift market in the northern outskirts of Karachi, ahead of Eid Al Adha.

Goats, sheep and camels are sold at the 64-acre cattle market in this southern city from the north of the country. The animals are decorated with colourful ornaments on their foreheads and hooves.

“This time we have set up the market on 64 acres of land which is likely to be filled in its full capacity in the coming couple of days,” Naveed Baig, one of the administrators of the market told Gulf News.

So far, some 100,000 big animals have arrived, besides around 10,000 goats and sheep, but the number is likely to more than double when the market reaches its peak.

“We are expecting some 200,000 [cattle] and calves to be sold this year and the goats and sheep might touch the figure of 100,000,” Baig said.

His estimates were based on the previous year’s statistics, which he said were less than this year’s expectations as breeders and farmers could not turn up in large numbers because of floods in the country.

Buyers are arriving at the cattle market to make initial price surveys so as to get a good bargain before Eid.

“The prices are too high so far,” Zahid Ali, a 40-year prospective buyer who was examining a cow, said.

“For a cow which I bought for 60,000 rupees [Dh2,147] last year, they are asking double now,” he said.

But market observers said the prices would come down reasonably once the serious buying of cattle starts, as this time it would be a buyer’s market.

“In the beginning the opening prices are too high normally,” said Hamid Malhi, chief executive officer of Pakistan’s Livestock Farmers and Breeders Association.

“But the correction in price would soon be witnessed as we expect larger number of animals in the market to be sold,” Malhi said.

Many had forecast a costlier cattle market because of the floods in eastern Punjab province.

However, market experts ruled out any negative effects of the floods on cattle prices.

“Goats and sheep normally graze in pastures which do not fall on the river course. Much of our goats and sheep come from the deserts of Thar and Cholistan, which were not affected by the flood,” Malhi said.

The devastating floods have taken the lives of some 350 people in the Punjab province but the cattle losses have not been reported significantly.

Unconfirmed reports said some 5,000 cattle were washed away during the recent floods and rains.

The sacrifices generate a huge turnover for sellers during the month-long holiday season.

Pakistan’s Tanners Association, the largest buyer of hides and skins of sacrificial animals in the country, estimates that around 150 billion rupees will be spent on the sacrificial animals this year.

 

The association says some 1.5 million cows and 3.5 million goats will be sacrificed this year, with average prices estimated at around 40,000 rupees and 20,000 rupees respectively.

 

However, the vendors in the cattle market say the price of a cow would range from 50,000 rupees to 60,000 rupees.

 

However, top breed animals, a major attraction, are offered for prices as high as 2.5 million rupees.

 

“We have set up 21 stalls for the cattle, of which four are dedicated for top bred animals,” Baig said