Over 11.83 lakh sacrificial animal ready in Khulna for Eid-ul-Azha

The demand of sacrificial animals in Khulna division for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha can be met almost entirely with locally-reared livestock, official sources said here today.

“Around 40 percent of the total demand could not be fulfilled with local livestock earlier but the situation has changed over the past few years. Hundred percent of the demand can be met with the local livestock now,” said Khulna Divisional Livestock Department Director Dr. Mohammad Lutfar Rahman.

Khulna will not face any shortage of sacrificial animals during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha as the supply of locally-reared cattle is quite enough to meet the demand while 11,82,998 animals are ready to be sacrificed this time, he said, adding: “This became possible only when the farmers of the division
started rearing cattle on a large scale in the hope of good profits.”

“Huge sacrificial animals will be brought to the makeshift cattle markets of the 10 districts and Khulna city ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. So, we don’t have any need to import cattle from other countries to meet the demand of Khulna,” he added.

According to the Livestock Office, this year’s demand for sacrificial animals in the division is 8, 28,998 while the farmers reared 11,82,998 sacrificial animals, 37.88 percent extra of the total demand, targeting the Eid-ul-Azha.

“A good number of the cattle have been reared in 1, 19,758 farms under 10 districts of the division. Moreover, a lot of people also reared cattle in their homestead,” the Divisional Livestock Official said.

Among the total reared animals in the division, 4,51,137 are cows, 5,056 buffalos, 6, 97,823 goats, 28,957 sheep and 25 other animals.

“The price of animal feed has been increased four times this year. As a result, the price of sacrificial animals will be slightly more than the last year,” said M M Mizanur Rahman, owner of a farm in Shirgati village under Rupsha upazila in Khulna.