Kashmir Valley witnessed a good influx of sacrificial animals during the Eid-ul-Adha this year, with nearly 1,200 trucks carrying sheep entering the Valley during the last 15 days, the Kashmir Mutton Dealers Association (KMDA) said on Saturday.
The Association General Secretary Mehraj-ud-Din said each truck carried more than 160 sheep on average, taking the total number of livestock brought into Kashmir to nearly 1.92 lakh sheep ahead of the festival.
“About 1,200 trucks carrying sheep entered the Valley during the last 15 days till May 27. Every truck was carrying over 160 sheep,” he said.
He said the average price of a sheep this season remained around Rs 20,000, pushing the overall Eid-ul-Adha livestock trade in Kashmir to nearly Rs 384 crore.
Mehraj-ud-Din said the majority of the sheep brought to Kashmir were imported from outside Jammu and Kashmir to meet the festive demand in the Valley.
He added that besides the outside imports, additional livestock supply from Rajouri, Jammu and other parts also continued to arrive in Kashmir, although the exact figures of the inbound local supply were not immediately known.
Markets across Srinagar, especially the Eidgah livestock mandi, and several district-level animal markets witnessed good public rush in the run-up to Eid-ul-Adha as families thronged markets to purchase sacrificial animals for Qurbani.
However, Mehraj-ud-Din said that despite the huge inflow of livestock and large-scale trade, sales this year remained comparatively lower than in previous years.
“The stock this year sold far less than the previous year,” he said, adding that many dealers were still left with unsold stock despite the festive rush.
Notably, Eid-ul-Adha is one of the biggest festivals in Kashmir and witnesses good demand for sacrificial animals every year, leading to a sharp rise in livestock imports and mutton trade across the Valley.
