Sacrificial animals prices surge

KABUL): Cattle merchants in various parts of the country on Saturday said prices of sacrificial animals showed an average surge of 40 percent, compared to their last year’s rates.

Though animals are available in Afghanistan and sheep from Tajikistan and dispatched to various parts of the country.

With the religious festival approaching fast, cattle dealers said they sold sacrificial animals on high prices compared to the past because of the illegal money they paid while transporting animals to the country.

They cited increased transportation and animal food costs other reasons behind the unprecedented rise in prices of sacrificial animals.

But government officials rejected as false the allegation that illegal money was being taken from cattle merchants.

Shakir, who visited the Shuhada-i-Saliheen cattle market in Kabul City, said he bought a bull weighing 1100kg for 35,000 afghanis last year, but a bull of the same weight was sold for 50,000afs this year.

A resident of the Sararud district in eastern Nangarhar province, Abdul Aziz, said the rate of a bull was 25,000afs last year, but rose to 40,000 this year.

In Jalalabad, resident Syed Anwar, said the price of a sheep, which hovered between 10,000afs and 12,000afs the previous year, could hardly be bought for 16,000afs this year.

Sellers also complained the prices of animals had increased in Pakistan and they had to pay illegal money on their transportation to Afghanistan.

Hazrat Ghulan, a dealer in Kabul’s Kampany area, said a bull ate food worth 500afs on a daily basis. He said 50kg of gross would cost him 50afs last year, but the same quantity was now sold for 120afs.

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