Asma Akhtar, daughter of Abul Kalam of Kumargati Union, along with her father came to Mymensingh’s Muktagachha New Market to sell sacrificial animals. Although their bull is a bit impetuous, Asma is always calm. A few years of nurturing has created the illusion. Bringing the cow to sell is heavy on his mind. However, Abul Kalam promised to buy another cow for him with the money from the sale of the bull. So the girl is standing with the cow rope hoping to sell it.
Muktagacha New Market cow market sitting on Wednesdays next to Aymon river. Wholesalers, farmers, farmers and farmers from different parts of the country come to sell cattle at the market on the side of the Mymensingh-Tangail highway.
Mymensingh’s sacrificial animal markets have already gathered ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Compared to large animals, the choice of buyers is more for small-medium sized cows of indigenous breeds. Compared to last year, each sacrificial animal has to pay 20,000 to 25,000 taka more. However, the farmers are in trouble by rearing large foreign breeds of bulls and cows. In the market, each bull of foreign breed is asked for 5 to 7 lakh rupees, but the buyer’s price does not rise above 2.5 to 3 lakh rupees. In the last 5 years, the price of cattle fodder, medicine, electricity has been increased by the animal breeders.
Motaleb Mia, director of Vishal Agro, said, ‘We have brought 10 big cows to the market, I think none of them should be sold below 5 lakhs. But this time buyers are not paying more than 3 lakhs. If the cow is sold at this price for the cost of rearing the cow, there will be nothing left. Catch the cow now.’
Talking to some people who came to buy sacrificial cows, it is known that the price of each cow has increased by 15,000 to 20,000 compared to last time. However, medium size cows are most preferred by the buyers, whose prices range from Tk 1.5 lakh to Tk 2 lakh maximum.
Abdul Mannan, the tenant of the haat, said that during the season of Qurbani Eid, the haat has been selling every day for almost a week. Police security has been arranged for the convenience of buyers and sellers. According to him, small-medium cows are being sold more than big cows. The market will continue on the day before Eid.
Some farmers and vendors who came to sell cows in Qorbani market complained that Indian cows are entering through different routes. On the one hand, diseases will increase if Indian cattle enter the smuggling route, on the other hand, if the price falls, the farmers will suffer. Therefore, the small and medium farmers demanded strict monitoring of the administration to prevent the entry of Indian cows on the illegal route.
According to the information of Departmental Livestock Directorate, the demand for sacrificial animals in Mymensingh district is 1 lakh 80 thousand 598. Surplus 69 thousand 328.
Director of Mymensingh Divisional Livestock Directorate Dr. Manoranjan Dhar said that there are 160 sacrificial animal markets in the district. There is a medical team in the market. The medical team is working to prevent the entry of sick cows.