\u201cMost people are not sacrificing animals because of prices,\u201d says a seller at one of Pakistan\u2019s biggest livestock markets
\nnews desk
\nRAWALPINDI
\nBusiness was quieter than usual at one of Pakistan\u2019s biggest livestock markets Friday as an economic crunch stopped customers from splashing out on cows, sheep and goats for the Eid ul Adha.
\nFarmers have been camped at the I-15 cattle market between Islamabad and Rawalpindi for two weeks, hoping to sell their stock ahead of the holiday, which starts Monday, but buyers are scarce.
\nPakistan\u2019s economy is in the doldrums, with rampant inflation affecting everything \u2014 including Eid spending.
\nMuhammad Mumtaz, who brought 50 animals to market, still had 30 left to sell.
\n\u201cInflation is so high that customers do not have the purchasing power,\u201d he told AFP as he sat on a wooden bed.
\n\u201cWe can\u2019t sell them cheaply,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cFeed is expensive, wheat is expensive, the truck fare has doubled… so there is nothing left for us.\u201d
\nLike Muslims elsewhere in the world, Pakistanis usually buy an animal for slaughter over Eid ul Adha, keeping a third for themselves, a third for friends and relatives, and a third for charity.
\n\u201cPrices are very high,\u201d Khurram Taseer, a bank employee, told AFP after splashing out Rs140,000 (around $700) for a bullock.
\nHe said his extended family usually bought two cows for the occasion, but this year had cut down to one.
\nThe market is divided into sections according to the type of animal, with bulls selling for Rs100,000 to Rs700,000, while goats and sheep fetch between Rs40,000 and Rs100,000.
\nThe farmers spend time cleaning and grooming the animals, festooning them with floral garlands in the hope of attracting customers.
\nStill, many would-be buyers left empty-handed. \u201cMost people are not sacrificing animals because of the prices,\u201d said farmer Mulazim Hussain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cMost people are not sacrificing animals because of prices,\u201d says a seller at one of Pakistan\u2019s biggest livestock markets news desk RAWALPINDI Business was quieter than usual at one of Pakistan\u2019s biggest livestock markets Friday as an economic crunch stopped customers from splashing out on cows, sheep and goats for the Eid ul Adha. Farmers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":270656,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-270647","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n