Mutton prices shoot up by Rs 100 per kilo

Huge demand for sheep from Tamil Nadu

Karnataka State Mutton Merchants Association President G Iqbal Ahmed Quraishi attributed the unusual price rise to merchants from Tamil Nadu purchasing sheep from Karnataka.

 "Large number of sheep have been transported to Tamil Nadu from Karnataka in the last two weeks. The price in Tamil Nadu have been, on average, at least Rs 50 higher than that in the city", he said.

The price of a sheep has gone up from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 in the last one week.

The largest markets for sheep in the State are Bagvadi and Amingod in Bijapur, Chinnoor and Muddar in Bellary, and Haveri.

The spurt in the prices has hit hard those in the festival mood. “This is really a bad thing,” rued Tanveer Alam of RT Nagar.

Cheaper options

Many people have already decided to forego mutton this Bakrid and instead go for cheaper options.

Even the well-to-do families, who buy in bulk and distribute to the poor, are planning to buy smaller quantities this year.

However, Safique-ur-Rehman of Indiranagar had a different take.  Rehman said: “The surge in -the price of mutton will have no impact on a sizeable percentage of the population of the Muslim community as they have to cut the whole sheep on the occasion. This would rather have an adverse impact on the people from the other communities as they have to pay Rs 100 extra for one kg of mutton.”