Photo : Collected

CHATTOGRAM, May 16, 2025 (BSS)- Demand for sacrificial animals for Eid-ul-Azha in Chattogram this year has been estimated to around 900,000, which is 10,500 more than last year. 

Officials of the Department of Livestock said, around 861,000 sacrificial animals are available in the district this year. Shortage of 39,000 animals will not affect the demand as traders usually bring animals for selling in Chattogram markets from neighbouring and northern districts for high profit.

Local farmers and traders claimed having sufficient stock of sacrificial animals in the country as well as in the district urging the government to take stringent step to check smuggling through borders and scrap import of sacrificial animal to encourage local farmers and save them from financial losses.
  
District Livestock Officer Dr. Md. Alamgir said that Chattogram division was never self-sufficient in cattle production. Every year, there was slight deficit in supply and demand but it had no much impacts on demand because traders from other districts start pouring in the market at fag end of the trading extravaganza sensing the demand in Chattogram.

According to the District Livestock office, the number of stock of sacrificial animals this year has increased by 67,297 compared to last year. Last year, 818,468 animals were slaughtered in Chattogram district and city.

This year, the demand for sacrificial animals has bene estimated at 896,269 while 861,000 animals remained in stock. Among the required animals, 365,029 are bulls, 121,670 are oxen, 49,114 are heifers and 64,163 are buffaloes. In addition, there are 205,174 goats, 55,697 sheep and 35 other varieties of animals. 

Farmers as well as officials of Livestock department have hinted slight price surge of sacrificial animals this year due to overall price inflation and increased cattle rearing costs particularly high import prices of feed. 

The District Livestock Department said there are a total of 14,258 large and small scale cattle rearing farms in Chattogram in addition to numerous temporary homestead ones. More animals are reared and prepared for Eid-ul-Azha market by the farms in Mirsarai, Karnaphuli, Patiya, Sitakunda, Fatikchari, Hathazari, Anowara, Rangunia and Banshkhali upazilas.
 
Amin Sharif Rubel, the owner of Halal Agro, has reared different sizes of cows in a farm located in his house in Sitakunda to sale those in this year’s cattle market. He is doubtful about making profit this year due to high rearing cost and lower price of cattle due to less demand and overall inflation.
 
President of Chattogram Divisional Dairy Farm Association Mohammad Iqbal Hossain said, there is no need to import animals this year as sufficient number of cows and buffaloes are in the stock for marketing on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. 

He suggested strict measures to check smuggling of animals for the sake of promoting domestic producers and achieve self-sufficiency in livestock resources. 

Malek Mohammad Omar, owner of Homeland Dairy Farm said he has 100 bulls in his dairy farm to sell in the Eid market this year. Every year he used to fatten some bulls in his farm to sell in the Eid market to make profit. Thus the sector has achieved the capacity to meet the needs of sacrificial animals in Chattogram, he said. 

Wasif Ahmed Salman, owner of Asian Agro said, the price of animal feed has increased much this year compared to last year resulted in high animal rearing and fattening cost. 

That’s why average prices of sacrificial animals may surge this year though the market trend is totally based on people’s purchasing capacity, demand and availability of animals, he observed.