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Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Beautiful Rajanpuri Nukra goats highly prized, and costly, at Islamabad's Eid market
ISLAMABAD: With their snow-white coats, drooping pink ears and regal build, Rajanpuri Nukra goats are turning heads and emptying wallets at Islamabad's bustling Eid Al-Adha cattle market this year. A strain of the Beetal goat native to the Rajanpur region of Pakistan's Punjab province, they are also known for their large size and muscular build. Highly prized for their meat, and a popular choice for Eid Al-Adha sacrifices, some have sold for as much as Rs2 million ($7,140) this season. At Islamabad's cattle market on Bhatta Chowk earlier this week, many people gathered around the goats to admire their appearance and snap pictures, while others negotiated deals. 'We have come here from Rajanpur as people in Islamabad and Rawalpindi prefer Rajanpuri goats over other breeds due to their white and pink coloration and impressive height,' said merchant Hamza Ali. He added that he had brought 20 of the prized animals to the market and sold most of them within four days. 'We're getting good prices for them here. Of the 20 goats we brought, one sold for Rs2 million last night.' Traders at the market have been selling the Rajanpuri goats for anywhere between $715 and $7,140, several merchants said. Highlighting the care involved, Muhammad Umair, a cattle trader, said the goats are nurtured from birth, referring to them as a 'purebred line.' 'We divide them into two groups. Those with good height and large size receive a special diet that includes wanda, choker, desi ghee and other nutritious ingredients,' he told Arab News as he petted one of his animals. Goats similar in size to regular breeds are available at lower prices but still higher than other strains. 'It has large pink ears, white eyes, and a pink nose, along with a pure white coat, which makes it highly attractive to buyers,' Umair added. Muhammad Bilal, a 23-year-old student from Islamabad, said he wanted to buy a Rajanpuri goat because of its white coat and long ears. 'Although the price is a bit higher, we will still buy it because we really like it,' he told Arab News. Another customer Ilyas Khan, 40, expressed frustration over the high prices, saying they were unaffordable for most market visitors. 'My children took pictures with them,' Khan, a businessman, said. 'But these are out of our reach as even the smallest ones are starting at Rs150,000, which is too much.'
Arab News
5 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Soaring prices put damper on Eid Al-Adha sales at Asia's largest cattle market in Karachi
KARACHI: The Eid Al-Adha festival should be the busiest time of the year at Asia's largest cattle market in Karachi's Sohrab Goth area. But soaring prices have driven away many of the people who would usually buy cows and goats to sacrifice on the Muslim holiday. One of Islam's two main festivals, Eid Al-Adha marks the climax of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, when Muslims slaughter animals to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son on God's command, often distributing meat to the poor. But this year, people like Nasir Khan, 25, say higher prices mean they cannot afford to carry out the important ritual. 'I can't afford it this time,' Khan told Arab News, saying he had opted out of a seven-member group he had been a part of for years, which pooled money to buy sacrificial animals as a collective activity. This year, the price of an average-sized cow or bull at the Sohrab Goth market had risen by around 94 percent to Rs330,000 [$1,201], said Abdul Jabbar, another buyer who did not disclose his age or profession and had decided against buying once he discovered the steep prices. On a hot afternoon earlier this month, Jabbar strolled through the Karachi market as hundreds of cattle sat idle under makeshift tents. 'The price trend is very high, almost double from last year,' he said. 'The animal we had bought at Rs 170,000 ($611.51) last year is now up for sale at as much as Rs330,000 ($1,187.05).' 'MEAT EXPORTS' Inflation in Pakistan peaked as high as 38 percent in May 2023. In May 2025, it rose to 3.5 percent, following a significant drop to 0.3 percent in April. But while food and fuel prices have somewhat decreased, financial experts say the prices of sacrificial animals have gone up, mainly due to increasing meat exports. In the fiscal year 2023-24, Pakistan's meat exports reached a record $512 million, a 20 percent increase from the previous year. This growth was driven by a 24 percent increase in export volume, reaching 123,515 tones. While the majority of Pakistan's meat production is consumed domestically, the country has seen significant growth in exports, particularly to Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and China. Increasing meat exports reduces the number of cattle available domestically and during Eid Al-Adha season, when demand is seasonal and peaks sharply, supply becomes constrained. 'Price hike is due to meat exports and inflation in previous years,' Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities Limited, explained. 'We have seen that there is a major increase in the export of livestock in the past three years, around more than 50 percent.' Zaki Abro, a spokesperson for the Sohrab Goth cattle market, attributed the surge in prices to the availability of fewer animals due to thousands being killed in recent floods. In 2022, Pakistan experienced devastating floods that resulted in the loss of over 1.1 million livestock. This figure includes approximately 500,000 livestock in Balochistan, over 428,000 in Sindh, and over 205,100 in Punjab provinces. 'On average the prices of small animals have risen by as much as Rs20,000 [$71.94] while the big animals have gone pricier by Rs 70,000 [$251.80],' Abro said. 'MARKET IS DULL' The effects of high prices were visible at the Karachi cattle market last week, with few buyers present despite it being spread over an area of around 1,200 acres and 175,000 cattle up for sale. Livestock merchants Muhammad Ismail and Obaidullah confirmed a drop in the number of buyers. 'We have a lot of animals still unsold,' Ismail, 26, said. 'This could be maybe because of inflation.' The traders blamed the high rates they were charging on the higher rates they had to pay wholesalers and the cattle market's administration. The cost of animal feed had also sky-rocketed, they said. Global supply chain disruptions, local market volatility, inflation, and currency devaluation have all contributed to this rise. The cost of fodder had surged by nearly 50 percent, impacting cattle farming, merchants said. 'Our eight to nine months farming cost for each of these animals this year increased to Rs250,000 [$899.28] from Rs150,000 [$539.57] a year ago,' Ismail explained. Trader Obaidullah said sellers also had to pay a fee of Rs30,000 [$107.91] per animal to the cattle market authorities. 'Last year the market performed well,' Ismail added. 'All of our animals had sold out. More than half of the market had emptied by this time last year. This year the market is dull.'
