Dubai: Ahead of Eid Al Adha, prices of livestock have almost doubled in Dubai owing to increased demand and global inflation. The recent hike in fuel prices have also contributed to an increase in transportation cost, traders said.
This year, prices of Indian and Pakistani goats have sky-rocketed. An Indian goat weighing 20-35kg costs as much as Dh3,500. “It is the same with a Pakistani goat as well,” said Rashid Abdulla, who owns shops at the cattle market in Al Qusais and in Dubai Abattoir as well.
The next most expensive are the Iranian goats and sheep such as Jaziri and Dumba. “The big animals weighing about 25-30kg are priced around Dh1,500,” Abdulla said.
Healthy Syrian goats weighing 15-30kg are selling for anything between Dh1,200 and Dh1,800.
Pakistani expatriate Maryam Adeel Khan said she was surprised to see such high prices of livestock this time. “Last year, we bought a pair of Indian goats for Dh3,000. I was scanning the prices this year and was shocked to see that the price of one Indian goat is around Dh,3000. Back home, in Pakistan too, livestock prices have shot up. Last year, a medium-sized cow sold for 78,000 Pakistani rupees (Dh1,380). This year, it’s going for Rs140,000!”
Livestock traders at the Dubai Cattle Market in Al Qusais said their import costs have gone up owing to global inflation. “Demand, however, is still high. This week, there has been a huge demand for livestock owing to Eid Al Adha,” a trader said. “We expect demand to remain high even after Eid Al Adha as many families will continue with the celebrations even beyond the long weekend,” he added.
This Eid Al Adha, Somali goats are in high demand. “The prices for these average between Dh1,500 and Dh1,800,” a trader said.
Peek into some livestock prices
One trader at the cattle market in Al Qusais said the Naimi lamb and Jaziry lamb are really popular. A small Naimi lamb is priced at Dh980; a medium-sized goat of the same variety is priced at Dh1,100 and a large one is priced at Dh1,250. A small Jaziry lamb is priced at Dh900. A medium-sized Jaziry lamb is priced at Dh1,050 and a large one costs Dh1,150. He added that the Hirry lamb is also on demand and costs Dh1,200.
There is considerable interest in local lambs priced at Dh850 and Kashmiri lambs priced at Dh750. Omani goats also come under the same price bracket.
Demand for other livestock is also high ahead of Eid Al Adha. A local calf (full) is priced at Dh4,400, while the local Dutch calf (full) costs Dh3,800. Local camel is priced at Dh4,200 for a full animal.
Snapshot of livestock prices (average):
Indian/Pakistani goat: Dh1500 to Dh3,500
Naimi lamb (full): Dh 1500 to Dh1,800
Najdi lamb (full): Dh 1500 to Dh,1,800
Jaziry goat (full): Dh 1500 to Dh1,800
Price range of cattle:
Sheep: Dh750-Dh3,500
Camel: Dh4000 to Dh,5,000
Somali goat: Dh500 to Dh850
