WARANGAL: Sheep and goat prices have nearly doubled across the state ahead of Dasara, with sellers and consumers pointing to the state government’s insistence on closing slaughterhouses for Gandhi Jayanti as one of the reasons for the steep hike.
On ordinary days, a 10-kg sheep costs around Rs 6,500. Ahead of the festival, prices have touched Rs 12,000. Goat and sheep meat, which usually sells for Rs 800 a kilo, is now being retailed at Rs 1,200, traders said.
The sharp rise is attributed not only to the seasonal demand for Ayudha Puja and Vijayadasami rituals, but also to the closure of abattoirs on October 2. With Gandhi Jayanti coinciding with Dasara, meat shops are forced to shut, pushing buyers to advance their purchases by paying inflated rates.
Neeriti Deva Raju, a shopkeeper at Station Ghanpur, said, “Festival demand is always high, but this year prices spiked like never before because of Gandhi Jayanti restrictions. Villagers who usually sell to us at moderate rates also hiked their prices knowing the city markets had no other option.”
The Yadav community, traditionally engaged in sheep and goat rearing in the erstwhile Warangal district, reported brisk sales, with bulk purchases made by traders supplying to urban centres. Many households and transport operators observed Ayudha Puja by sacrificing goats, while Vijayadasami continued to draw heavier demand for sheep.
For consumers, however, the overlap of Gandhi Jayanti and Dasara was less welcome. “We respect the occasion, but food is also a necessity. People here depend on meat as part of their normal diet, and forcing closure only makes things harder for common buyers,” said P Ramesh, a resident of Peddapendiyal village in Hanamkonda district.
Despite such concerns, local bodies across the state issued notices to butchers and meat shop owners to remain closed on Gandhi Jayanti. While officials justified the move as a mark of respect, residents argue the one-day clampdown, combined with festive demand, only pushed prices beyond reach for many households.