GUNTUR : High prices of sheep are likely to put a damper on Bakrid celebrations, as the prices of sheep increased drastically by around `5,000 to `7,000 this year.
Eid al-Adha, also known as ‘Festival of Sacrifice’, will be observed in India on June 17, while it is observed a day earlier in Saudi Arabia. Last year, a pair of sheep was quoted at around Rs 20,000 during Bakrid which now ranges between Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000. The retailers opined that there has been a shortage of sheep this year compared to the last year as the transportation prices increased due to hike in fuel rates.
Due to this, the business at the Friday market in Guntur, where people come from surrounding areas to buy sheep, has been witnessing a fall in demand, as many poor and middle-class consumers are in no condition to afford such high costs and the retailers are not confident about a spike in the business.
However, while the prices remain high, the shepherds aren’t the major benefactors as it is the middlemen who take the big margins. Both the shepherd and the customer suffer as the sheep is procured from the herder at around Rs 13,000 to Rs 17,000 and then sold to customers for Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000. Even the retailer makes lesser margins than the middlemen, said Abdullah, a vendor.
Every year, Eid al-Adha is celebrated by Muslims with a lot of pomp and grandeur all over the world. People start their day with the morning prayers and indulge in family time with their loved ones. In many countries, animal sacrifice is a norm on this auspicious day. Charity is also done, and clothes and food are offered to the poor and the needy.