Cattle slaughter ban makes Bakrid costly this year

This Bakrid is turning out to be expensive for Muslims in Karnataka.

With authorities cracking down on the sale, transport and slaughter of cattle in Karnataka in keeping with the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, the prices of sheep and goats have skyrocketed ahead of the festival of sacrifice, which falls on July 10 this year. Many low- and middle-income Muslims are either cutting down on animal slaughter or skipping it altogether.

The Act, which came into force in January last year, imposes a blanket ban on the slaughter of cows, calves, bulls and bullocks of all ages and buffaloes aged under 13.

The enforcement of the new law was muted last year in view of the lockdown and other contingencies. But 2022 is different. Citing the legislation, Minister for Animal Husbandry Prabhu Chavan has appealed to Muslims to refrain from slaughtering cattle. He also ordered a crackdown on violators.

On Wednesday, the Minority Welfare, Haj and Wakf Department issued a circular asking Muslims to offer animal sacrifice strictly in accordance with the 2020 law. Keen to avoid punitive action, community leaders are urging Muslims to follow the law by totally shunning cattle slaughter.

While the approach is working, it is also leading to unintended consequences: sheep and goats have become expensive.

Many Muslims prefer slaughtering cattle because it works out cheaper. According to the Islamic tradition, one animal can be sacrificed in the name of seven people. Goats and sheep can be sacrificed in the name of only one person.

In Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar area, not a single cattle head has been brought for slaughter this Bakrid, a resident said.

With only goats and sheep available, sellers are quoting a premium.

In the three years that he has been doing business at the sheep market in HBR Layout, among the biggest in Bengaluru, Abdul Azeez never found the prices so high and the sales so low. “The prices are up at least 50% and they are hurting,” he told DH on Thursday. “The cattle ban is certainly a factor.”

Fellow traders Yaseen and Aquib echoed him. If Azeez sold about 600 sheep and goats last year, the number is now down to just 300.

The inclement weather has also dampened the demand because sheep easily fall sick. So people are reluctant to buy them, the Shivajinagar resident said.

The Bannur breed of sheep, known for its tender meat, rich taste and fat content, is selling for Rs 75,000 a pair. This price wasn’t more than Rs 50,000 last year. The Amingad goat is selling for upwards of Rs 35,000 apiece, up from Rs 25,000 in 2021. The Sindhnaur and Jaipur breeds cost about Rs 25,000 apiece, substantially higher than last year. The cheapest is the Chennur sheep, selling for about Rs 12,000, as against Rs 8,000 last year, according to traders.

One particular Amingad goat, which eats only dry fruits and corn and drinks five litres of milk a day, is selling for Rs 2.6 lakh a pair.