Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, June 5, 2025 (BSS) - Local markets in Rangpur division have been witnessing an all-time record supply of sacrificial animals, with sales reaching the highest level, a day before Eid-ul-Adha, the second biggest religious festival of the Muslims.
 
Talking to BSS at different cattle markets livestock farm owners and farmers said that despite the multi-fold increase in animal prices, they have kept local animals, hoping to get better prices for sacrificial animals.
 
Cattle traders said that sales of sacrificial animals have reached the highest level since Wednesday. Buyers are flocking en-masse to local markets to buy sacrificial animals.
 
Buyers said they preferred healthy, medium-sized local cows that are raised naturally rather than artificially fattened and large-sized cows as sacrificial animals.
 
Farmers and ranchers are complaining that they are facing losses due to low prices. They have had to spend a lot of money on raising cows due to the increase in the price of animal feed.
 
Rangpur Divisional Livestock Department Director Dr Md Abdul Hye Sarkar told BSS that in recent years, there has been a revolution in the livestock sector, with cattle head production increasing.
 
He said that against the demand of 14,12,000 sacrificial animals in Rangpur division for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha festival, farmers and families have produced 19,80,390 sacrificial animals this time. 
 
He said, "We have 5,68,000 surplus sacrificial animals in Rangpur division, where farmers in all eight districts have produced additional sacrificial animals against the demand of the respective districts." 
 
Cattle farm owners and farmers in the mainland and char areas have produced bulls, cows, oxen, calves, buffaloes, goats, sheep, camels and lambs as sacrificial animals.
 
"Since we have surplus sacrificial animals in our division, it proves that we no longer need to import animals to meet local demand and farmers will get fair prices for their locally raised animals," Abdul Hye added.
 
Rangpur District Livestock Officer Dr Md Abu Sayeed said that 25,651 cattle farms and farmers have produced 3,63,312 sacrificial animals, including cows, against a demand of 2,24,752 lakh, of which 1,38,560 animals are surplus in Rangpur district. 
 
A sufficient number of livestock medical teams have been working at the upazila and district-level sacrificial animal markets to check the health status of those animals. 
 
“To ensure smooth trading and transportation of cattle by roads and highways, currency checking machines have been installed, adequate security measures have been taken and round-the-clock patrols of the members of law enforcement agencies are being provided,” he said. 
 
Cattle traders expressed satisfaction over the measurers taken by the government to this end. 

Cattle traders Dulal Ahmed and Farhad Hossain at Lalbagh cattle market in Rangpur city said they expected the price of sacrificial animals to be much higher this time due to the high cost of animal feed. 
 
However, the price has not increased much as the supply is higher than the demand for sacrificial animals in the major markets.
 
“Bulls, calves and cows of popular sizes are being sold for an average of Taka 70,000 to Taka 95,000 depending on the size and quality,” said another cattle trader Mohammad Abdu Rouf at the same cattle market.
 
Ramjan Ali, a cattle trader at Shathibari Cattle Market in Mithapukur Upazila of Rangpur, said that the prices of bulls and cows may drop at the last minute tomorrow, the day before Eid-ul-Azha, due to abundant supply in the local market.
 
“Medium and medium large-sized bulls are being sold at Taka one lakh to Taka 2.50 lakh each, large-sized bulls for Taka three lakh to Taka four lakh and extra-large bulls for Taka five lakh or above in local markets,” he said. 
 
Cattle farm owner Mahmudul Hasan, of Faridabad Daktarpara village in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur, said he expected to sell his four large bulls weighing 400 kg to 700 kg for Taka four to six lakh each this year. 
 
"However, to meet my dire financial needs, I had to sell two large bulls weighing 600 kg to 700 kg for just Taka six lakh. At the normal price, the two bulls should have been worth at least Taka 10 lakh. I have suffered a huge loss," he said.
 
Mahmudul Hasan has decided not to sell his two other bulls this time.
 
"The cost of raising bulls has increased compared to five to six years ago due to the threefold increase in feed prices. However, prices have come down due to the record supply of sacrificial animals," he said.
 
Similarly, amidst the huge supply, large-sized goats are being sold for Taka 25,000 to Taka 45,000, medium-sized goats for Taka 20,000 to Taka 25,000 and small-sized goats for Taka 14,000 to Taka 19,000 each.