Bleat, bleat: Bakrid sends prices of goat, sheep soaring

Bengaluru: With just two days left for the Bakrid festival, the rates of sacrificial goats and sheep have gone through the roof. Mr Mehbood Khan, who had gone to purchase a sheep for the festival at the Idgah Maidan at Chamarajpet, said, "Last year, I purchased a Bannur sheep weighing 30 kg for Rs 8,000. This year I have paid almost the double a similar sized sheep."

Chikkamuniyappa, a sheep trader from Malavalli, said, “In many parts of the state, there has been no proper rainfall. This increased the price of the fodder, and also the sheep.” Even the cost of transporting the animals has gone up. “We have no option but to put the cost burden on the customers,” he said.

Around 10,000-20,000 sacrificial animals of different breeds, like Bannur, Deccani, Australian crossbreed and Jamuna Pari, arrive every day at Chamarajpet, Thanisandra, Nagawara, Shivajinagar and other parts of the city during Bakrid. Most the sacrificial animals are brought from Madanapalle, Vijayapura, Shira, Malavalli, Maddur, Chikkaballapura and Bagalkote. Traders said that already, one crore animals have been sold.

The price has escalated, but that has not dissuaded customers from thronging these shanties. “On Bakrid day, we sacrifice sheep and distribute its meat among the poor. We cannot stop distributing meat, just because the price is high,” said Mr Syed Javeed Ahmed, a customer.

Meat stall owners make a killing
A day before the Cauvery bandh, a section of Bengalureans cheered and got ready for a stress-free day. While most owners of grocery stores, vegetable shops and other business establishments worried that they would lose a day’s income, meat stall owners had a field day on Thursday!

The demand was such that many meat shops at BTM Layout, Tilak Nagar, South End Circle, Banashankari, Mysuru Road and surrounding areas shut shop by 7 pm, hanging up ‘no stock’ boards. Most of the customers did not want to take chances and stocked up on Thursday evening itself, they said.

Noor Khan, a stall owner in Tilak Nagar, said, “No matter which bandh, meat stalls are open at least for a few hours. But this time, we too decided to close our shops and informed our regular customers, who queued up to stock up. Usually, my shop is open till 8.30 pm, but on Thursday, I closed around 7 pm as I rand out of stock. The demand was high even from bachelors and those living alone.”

Some stalls pre-booked orders. Santosh, another stall owner, said he opened his shop at 4 am on Friday, hours before protesters took to the streets. “I was open only for two hours-between 4 and 6 am to deliver to customers who paid full advance on Thursday evening. Since the orders were many, I was forced to open during odd hours,” he said.

SRK to give sheep from city a miss
This year, film star Shah Rukh Khan is unlikely to get his Deccani sheep from Bengaluru for Bakrid. Mr Mohammad Ibrahim, who supplies special sheep to the superstar every year from Bengaluru, said, “I roamed rural parts of Bagalkote and Viajayapura to find the best sheep to suit the needs of the star. As the rains have failed, I could not find a Deccani sheep that weighs over 100 kg with big horns which is what he has sought.”