Srinagar: The continuous closure of animal mandies in other states is likely to create a serious crisis of sacrificial animals on the occasion of upcoming Eid-ul-Adha this year in Kashmir.
In absence of smooth supply of animals from other states amid pandemic, people are forced to buy mutton at exorbitant rates from the market, a complaint prevalent for the past few months.
General Secretary, All Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association, Mehraj-Ud-DinMehraj Ganie, told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that this time mutton dealers would face dearth of sacrificial animals in Kashmir
“On Eid-ul-Adha, around 3.50 lakh animals are sold only for sacrificial purposes. However, this year the demand is also down,” he said.
He added that there are three responsible dealers who provide stock to markets in Kashmir.
“One is barkarwalas, second local sheep unit holders and third local mutton dealers,” he said.
He added that local mutton dealers are main stakeholders in supplying the sacrificial animals to market.
“But since the mandies in other states where we get supplies are closed, Kashmir is likely to face the dearth of sacrificial animals on this Eid,” he said.
However, he added that they are waiting if the government will take an initiative to ensure smooth management of sacrificial animals in the coming days.
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal in Islam. Every year on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, , an estimated three lakh fifty thousand animals are being used for the sacrificial ritual (Qurbani) in Kashmir, which approximately amounts to a whopping sum of Rs 3. 50 crore.
One of the mutton dealers said that every year on the occasion of Eid- Ul Azha around 1000 trucks with livestock are being imported to Kashmir from other parts of India.
“On Eid festivals, Kashmir is having a huge mutton demand. Every year to prevent mutton scarcity, we imported sheep in abundance from different Mandis including New Delhi, Amritsar and Himachal Pradesh,” he said.
Another dealer said that on an average a sheep is sold at Rs 10,000, so on an estimate it amounts about 300 crores. The mutton demand has remained on the higher side from last few years.
The valley is still importing 57 per cent of its mutton requirement from outside with its consumption touching 253.88 lakh kilograms annually. (KINS)