Hyderabad: Two consecutive lockdowns since last year have resulted in prices of sacrificial goats for Bakri Eid coming down this year. Most of the traders from the city said that the demand this year is scarce, due to which they have been forced to either decrease prices of the animals or to keep it to what it was last year.
Last year after the COVID-19 lockdown around this time, the goat mandis around Hyderabad were full of customers for Bakri Eid. Ram, a trader from the Gudimalkapur goat mandi said that there would be a mad rush every year even weeks before Bakri Eid about goats. “But this year it’s unusually calm, as the entire market is down,” he lamented.
He added that he expects things to change after a few days, hopefully. On average, Ram said that as of now he is selling a goat weighing 12 kilograms (Kg) for not more than Rs 6,500, which is roughly Rs. 1,000 lesser than last year’s price.
The reason however for the slump in prices this year in the goat trade, said Narsingh, another trader, is the financial stress that is upon people due to the COVID-19 virus. Thousands of families which were infected have been forced to pay huge medical bills, and any excess expenditure this year is simply out of the question for most households.
“People don’t have money now because of the lockdown and are struggling to meet their daily ends. It’s unlikely that the trade would be like last year,” Narsingh remarked. He added that ongoing rainy weather has also affected the supply of the goats.
However, another goat trader, Zaheer, said that Hyderabad’s public is unpredictable and that people can suddenly “swarm” towards mandis to purchase goats. “The surprise in the market can create a disruption in supply and demand, which would lead to a hike in prices then. I expect this to happen around July 19,” he added.
Another trader, who did not want to be named, said that there is no fixed rate in the market, and nothing can be said about the future this early. According to him, prices depend on the supply and demand. “Currently, given how the market is down, I am selling my goats for Rs. 7,200 for a 12 Kg animal,” he added.
Among the many traders, there are also those like Md. Umar Ali, who predict that this year would see a Rs. 2,000 hike in prices per animal in the coming days. Ali, who does takes up the trade every year for Bakri Eid, said that he expects the price to touch Rs. 8,500 for a 12 kg goat on an average. “Every year, we see the same thing happening. There will be a drop in prices about 15 days before Bakri Eid, after which prices will go up later,” Ali told Siasat.com.