Where to buy cattle from this Eid-Ul-Adha 2020

Eid-Ul-Adha, the largest religious festival for Muslims is less than two weeks away and for most people this is the time when they hit the market, scouting for the best deals for their Qurbani offering. But this year the situation is quite different. In the light of the pandemic and due to the fear of coronavirus, people may not stick to old ways of purchasing cattle as they are used to. Some may want to consider alternative ways to deal with the challenge. So considering the ongoing situation, what are the places to buy cattle from this Eid? To this, we have analyzed the market and come up with these available options.

Traditional cattle market

Each year both Dhaka North and South City Corporations set up more than 20 makeshift cattle markets around the city ahead of Eid-Ul-Adha. This year they have decided to scale the number down to only 16, excluding the permanent market at Gabtoli.

Under Dhaka South City Corporation, 11 of those makeshift cattle markets will be set up at: 

• Uttar Shahjahanpur Moitri Songho Math
• Hazaribag Leather Technology College Math
• Postogola Shoshan Ghat
• Kamalapur Little Friends Club
• Aftabnagar Haat
• Meradia Bazar
• Dania College Math
• Dupkhola Math
• Open places adjoining Dholaikhal Truck Terminal
• Amulia Model Town
• Rahmatganj Khelar Math

The rest of the 5 markets will be set up under Dhaka North City Corporation and will be located at:

• Dumni
• Uttara sector 17, or Moyner Tek in Uttara
• Kawla Shialkantha grounds
• Basila
• Sayyed Nagar in Vatara

Things to know before heading to one of these:

Although most of these markets are planned to be set up in open and less densely populated areas, one’s safety remains an issue. The government has prepared a six-point guideline but as thousands of people will congregate in these cattle markets, maintaining the guidelines will be challenging to say the least. This also makes this one of the riskiest places to buy cattle from this Eid.

For most sellers, taking animals to a physical cattle market is still considered to be the primary way to make a sale. So the availability of the cattle won’t be an issue. Accessibility, on the other hand, may become a matter of concern as many travel very long distances from within and from outside the city to purchase cattle. 

You can expect an adequate amount of transportation facilities on these markets or you can take services from various online platforms such as Truck Lagbe or Shohoz in order to transport the animal to your location. However, if you want to transport your cattle outside the city, you may want to do it before the 9-day ban that will be imposed on vehicles transporting goods (five days before, and three days after Eid-Ul-Adha). 

In most traditional cattle markets, you have to make the payment upfront or you may make the payment using a mobile banking service if the vendor agrees.

The demands for sacrificial animals may drop significantly this year due to Covid-19 induced reasons. Every year, where traders sell over a crore animals during the festivals, this year experts are estimating that demand may come down to only 80,000. This may result in a sharp price drop as well.

Government-sponsored digital haats

Acknowledging the ongoing situation, the government has also come forward with a solution. Recently, the government launched a digital market for qurbani under the “foodfornation qurbani2020” initiative. Sellers can register themselves free of cost and potential buyers can purchase their desired animals from the vast collection. The government also partnered up with other platforms such as Daraz, Priyoshop, Shobji Bazar, and Bengal Meat to facilitate growing needs.

In a joint venture, DNCC, ICT Division, the E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh Dairy Farm Association have also implemented the country’s first dedicated online platform for trading qurbani animals called “DNCC Digital Haat”. More than 40 selling partners (including those we mentioned before) from across the country have gathered here with more than 1000 animals to meet demand. This makes these government-sponsored digital haats one of the best places to buy cattle from this Eid.

DSCC is also reported to launch a similar online marketplace to ease the hassle of purchasing qurbani animals for people living on the south side of the city. The administrative authority of Khulna is scheduled to launch an online platform based sacrificial cattle market mobile app named “Online Qurbani Hat Khulna”.

Things to know before shopping from these places

Since this is a relatively new medium, prospecting buyers may be skeptical about the process of doing things. So a little bit of know-how is necessary. To that, concerned authorities have given answers to most questions.

When purchasing qurbani animals from DNCC’s digital haat, prospecting buyers can place an order with a 25% down payment using various payment methods including bank transfer, Visa card, Master card, or Amex card. Nagad mobile banking is also available and if anyone wishes to make a payment using the service, with 1% discount on the purchase.

Be warned though, if you cancel the order after the payment is made, 25% of the money will be deducted from your payment. You can also avail their slaughtering service from the website. In that case, 23% extra charge will be added to the total cost. After placing an order, you will receive a call from their call center. They will update you with all the information about your purchase. You can also call 09614 102030 at any time to know any relevant information.

The price of cattle is another thing that you should be aware of. There is no bargaining on these platforms. So this may not be the best option for you if ‘value for money’ is your biggest concern.

Delivery time and charges may vary depending on the seller. However, if you want, you can arrange your own transportation system for the delivery. Since you will shop online, reliability and trust may become a matter of concern. But you can get an appointment by calling the number mentioned above if you want to see the animal that you purchased.

Social media sellers

Two types of sellers can be found on social media platforms such as Facebook. One sells directly through their social media account and the other heads over to a well-known Facebook group for selling their cattle. With millions of active users per day, Facebook remains one of the most accessible and popular places to buy cattle from this Eid. Just a simple Facebook search can give you a list of hundreds of cattle ready for you to bring home, placing it amongst the least riskiest places to buy cattle thi Eid.

Most people look for qurbani animals on Facebook to avoid getting into the hassle of going to a haat and paying a hasil charge. While the process is a bit more reliable (you can visit the vendor and bargain) compared to other online marketplaces, there are some issues that you should be aware of. 

Things to know before purchasing your cattle from social media platforms

If you purchase cattle through Facebook, you may come across some problems regarding payment. As there is no unified product tracking system inside Facebook, there is a chance that you may fall victim to forgery. Reporting your issue on Facebook doesn’t really help. The lack of a governing authority within the system will lead you to sorrow and despair. So search for sellers and contact them over the phone instead. Ask for an appointment so that you can see the cattle yourself. If possible take the animal with you after making the payment. That way you will be able to avoid most scams.

If you rely on the seller for the delivery, it may become a matter of concern. Also depending on the seller, they may or may not include the delivery charge with the total price and may charge you extra. Since you will be there during the deal, you will be able to haggle and make sure the quality of the package won’t be an issue. Health hazards will also be minimal as you won’t come in contact with a lot of people in the process.  

Online marketplaces

As the current pandemic situation pushes online shopping, most people are becoming accustomed to the idea of online shops. E-commerce sites are betting big on selling qurbani animals online this year to grab a huge market. Although the trend is not new, this year they are planning to break their own record of selling qurbani animals ahead of Eid-Ul-Adha celebration. Different online platforms are offering a variety of animals to buy from their vast collections. 

Speaking of places to buy cattle from this Eid, last year, one of the country’s most prominent e-commerce sites, Daraz (which is a subsidiary of Chinese giant e-commerce site Alibaba), sold over 70 cattle through their site. Bikroy.com, another major e-commerce site in Bangladesh, sold 3000 cattle. Sheba.xyz, an online service provider platform, is offering an additional facility to its customers this Eid, allowing people to buy qurbani animals with other people by sharing costs.

That being said, experts are estimating, this year these e-commerce sites may set a new record as more similar sites are also joining the field.

Before you head to one of these sites

Sites including Bengal Meat, Daraz, Othoba, Bikroy, Sheba.xyz, Shobjibazaar, Sadeeqagro, Deshigorubd, Ajkerdeal, and Priyoshop are offering thousands of cattle for you to purchase this Eid. You have the option to choose your desired animal based on breeds. 

Price, on the other hand, may concern you. It turns out that most of the cattle available are labeled with high price tags on these e-commerce sites. Only a handful of animals can be found at under BDT 60,000. Whereas at a physical cattle market, you could walk away the owner of a similar purchase at a significantly lower price. This, in turn, is proving to be the biggest turn-off for people who previously showed interest in purchasing cattle from an e-commerce site.

Since these all are e-commerce sites, anyone can access them from anywhere. That begs the question – what about the delivery process? After making a purchase, primarily you have to rely on the seller (or the e-commerce site you bought your animal from) for the delivery (which is normally made 2-3 days prior to EID or even earlier if you want). Depending on the vendor, they may or may not deliver the animal outside the city. However, you can always arrange your own transportation in this kind of situation. If you do, make sure to make the transport before the ban. And as you don’t have to come in contact with other people during the process, this makes it one of the safest places to buy cattle from this Eid.

Unlike Facebook, these e-commerce sites are equipped with a unified product tracking system to track your order. As far as reliability and trust are concerned, there will always be an issue with online purchases but it’s on you.

Depending on the seller you may have to make a partial payment or full payment during the deal. But in most cases, a partial payment option will be available. A variety of payment methods are available including bank transfer, Visa card, Master card, and American Express card, or you can pay through mobile banking services such Bkash, Rocket, and so on.

Cattle farms (Gorur khamar)

Out-of-district or in-district cattle farms have always been a point of interest for those who are more concerned about the quality and maintenance of the cattle. As a result, their popularity is on the rise and can be considered as one of the best places to buy cattle from this Eid. Just a simple Google or Facebook search will present you with hundreds of such “cattle farms” across the country.

Things to know before you make a purchase

You may have to book an appointment before you head to one of these cattle farms. These farms can offer you a huge variety of local and foreign breeds of animals. All the animals offered by these farms are claimed to be organically reared, so there is no compromise with quality. And for that reason, all these farmed animals come with hefty price tags.

Since most of these khamars are located at the edge of the city or outside the city, accessibility may become an issue. That’s why, plan ahead. As for the delivery and transportation facility, vendors may provide you a delivery option but may charge you extra. However, you can arrange your own transportation or take help from an online service such as Truck Lagbe, Shohoz, or Sheba.xyz. If you are planning to purchase an animal from outside the city, you better hurry as there will be a 9-day transportation ban imposed on goods-carrying vehicles.

Depending on the vendor, they may or may not allow down payment facilities. So ask about the payment plan and payment method prior to making a deal. You are required to travel and visit these farms in order to make a purchase. This makes it one of the riskiest places to buy cattle from this Eid. Taking extra precautions amid this corona situation is a must. 

Extra (Specialized Qurbani services)

Don’t want to go through the slaughtering and butchering hassle? You can now order the “Full Qurbani Service” online. Although this is a lesser-known sector in Bangladesh, several companies are offering this service this year. Upon booking the service prior to Eid-Ul-Adha, a service provider will professionally slaughter, process, and package the meat at their specific slaughterhouse and conveniently send them to the customer. The popularity of this service is on the rise and amid the current situation, the demand for such a service may rise even higher.

Bengal Meat, the pioneer of this service, is taking online orders. Depending on the size and price of the cattle, their service charge may vary between BDT 22,000 – BDT 25,000. 

Another e-commerce venture called Madol, started operating on Facebook this year. They charge 10% of an animal’s price for the service.

Sheba.xyz, on the other hand, has gone one step further. Not only are they selling cattle on their website, they have also launched “Full Qurbani Service” this year. Previously the service was limited to butcher supply for the customers.

Whether you choose to shop online or want to visit a physical cattle market, both have their pros and cons. You just have to pick the one that works for you. Besides, the government is encouraging people to purchase sacrificing animals online to stop further transmission of the deadly virus during the festival. 

We tried to give a comprehensive overview of the current scenario of the market amid the crisis. Let us know whether you find this article helpful in the comments section below.