Inflation has apparently hit Bakri-Eid too, as people are reluctant to buy goats at fair
Goat traders at the on-going Bakra Mela (goat fair) in the city are facing a slump this festive season. They are complaining of fewer takers for the different varieties of goats available at the fair.
Hundreds of goats are found tied in the area near Chandola Lake in Danilimda, where the Bakra Mela is being held. Twenty days before Bakri-Eid, which falls on November 7 this year, goat traders from different parts of the country gather to sell their goats at the fair. Says Pehladram Ganthia, a goat trader from Rajasthan,"The number of buyers has gone down. Also, this year, people hesitate to spend much on goats, unlike previous years, when we had very good sales. I have been coming to Ahmedabad for this mela for the past 12 years".
Arun Qureshi, a goat trader from Ahmedabad, said, "We can feel the effect of inflation this year. People come and bargain for the goats … seeking prices which we cannot afford."
Qureshi further said that last year he sold a goat for a whopping Rs 45,000. However, this year he is finding it difficult to ask for Rs 12,000 for one animal. Goats of different varieties are priced differently at the fair. Young ones aged eight to nine months are available for a minimum of Rs 10,000. Goats more than one and a half year old are suitable to be sacrificed and hence they are more expensive. Their prices range from Rs 20,000 to a rare variety that costs Rs 1 lakh.
Mohammad Ahmed, a resident of Danilimda, said, "I have not yet bought a goat. The prices are high and I cannot afford it." Another goat trader, Kanha Ram responded, "Till today, we have not been able to sell a single goat this year. We have priced the goat same as last year, but people are not prepared to spend."
The trend set during Diwali of having a quiet celebration with less expenditure seems to have trickled down to the preparations for Bakri-Eid too.Inflation has apparently hit Bakri-Eid too, as people are reluctant to buy goats at fair
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