Cattle food sellers making windfall profit
Monday, 15 November 2010
FE Report
The sellers of various cattle food items, like straw, grass and jackfruit leaves, are making windfall profit on the eve of the Eid-ul-Azha.
"This year the business of these items is very good, as the pace of cattle sale is rather slow. So, the animals are being kept in the markets for longer period, and they are consuming more food," one seller said.
Shafikul Islam, a rickshaw-van puller at Agamasi Lane in old Dhaka, told the FE that every year he engages himself in this side business, focusing Armanitola cattle market.
"I sell straw, grass, jackfruit leaves and red ribbons every year to make some extra profit." He informed that about 100-120 vendors are running cattle food product business at Armanitola.
Shafikul said he is selling a bouquet of straw from Tk 10 to 20, a bouquet of medium-size grass from Tk 5 to 10 and large-size from Tk 80 to 100, jackfruit leaves of small-size from Tk 5 to 10 and large-size from Tk 80 to 100, and ribbons from Tk 25 to 40.
Shahid, another vendor of Gabtoli haat, said his daily sale ranges between Tk 1,000 and 1,500, and it is a business of cent per cent profit without any harassment, as all traders need these items.
Sohel Hasib, manager of Gabtoli haat authority, said about 200 vendors are running the cattle food business, centring the Gabtoli hat.
"We have told the volunteers and all other members concerned not to bother them," he added.
The traders said they bring grass from Sowarighat in old Dhaka, straw from Dhamrai and Manikganj, collect jackfruit leaves from state-owned trees and also from Savar, and red ribbon from Chawkbazar.
Meanwhile, sale of billhooks, knives, 'chapatis' and other tools made of iron has registered rise in city markets. In many places, open air shops on footpaths or vacant lots along roads have sprung up in recent time selling iron tools required for pruning, cutting and chopping of meat of sacrificial animals.
Kashem, a seller of iron tools at Gabtoli told the FE that the demand for tools ahead of Eid-ul-Azha every year is higher than normal time and the prices also go up.
Knives are being sold at Tk 300 to Tk 500 per piece depending on size and quality which was sold at Tk 200 to Tk 350 last year.
Chapati sells at Tk 400 to Tk 800 but it was sold between Tk 300 and Tk 500 last year.
The sellers of various cattle food items, like straw, grass and jackfruit leaves, are making windfall profit on the eve of the Eid-ul-Azha.
"This year the business of these items is very good, as the pace of cattle sale is rather slow. So, the animals are being kept in the markets for longer period, and they are consuming more food," one seller said.
Shafikul Islam, a rickshaw-van puller at Agamasi Lane in old Dhaka, told the FE that every year he engages himself in this side business, focusing Armanitola cattle market.
"I sell straw, grass, jackfruit leaves and red ribbons every year to make some extra profit." He informed that about 100-120 vendors are running cattle food product business at Armanitola.
Shafikul said he is selling a bouquet of straw from Tk 10 to 20, a bouquet of medium-size grass from Tk 5 to 10 and large-size from Tk 80 to 100, jackfruit leaves of small-size from Tk 5 to 10 and large-size from Tk 80 to 100, and ribbons from Tk 25 to 40.
Shahid, another vendor of Gabtoli haat, said his daily sale ranges between Tk 1,000 and 1,500, and it is a business of cent per cent profit without any harassment, as all traders need these items.
Sohel Hasib, manager of Gabtoli haat authority, said about 200 vendors are running the cattle food business, centring the Gabtoli hat.
"We have told the volunteers and all other members concerned not to bother them," he added.
The traders said they bring grass from Sowarighat in old Dhaka, straw from Dhamrai and Manikganj, collect jackfruit leaves from state-owned trees and also from Savar, and red ribbon from Chawkbazar.
Meanwhile, sale of billhooks, knives, 'chapatis' and other tools made of iron has registered rise in city markets. In many places, open air shops on footpaths or vacant lots along roads have sprung up in recent time selling iron tools required for pruning, cutting and chopping of meat of sacrificial animals.
Kashem, a seller of iron tools at Gabtoli told the FE that the demand for tools ahead of Eid-ul-Azha every year is higher than normal time and the prices also go up.
Knives are being sold at Tk 300 to Tk 500 per piece depending on size and quality which was sold at Tk 200 to Tk 350 last year.
Chapati sells at Tk 400 to Tk 800 but it was sold between Tk 300 and Tk 500 last year.