Suppose a coin lands on its edge – An alternative to Bakra Eid expenditures

As an outcome of a rare chain of events a majority of the country celebrated Eid on the same day. This in itself should be some sort of an accomplishment. But it offers only fleeting comfort which dissipates the moment you step out of the house to make that purchase, one that is mostly likely to exceed the average Pakistani household’s annual rations. With prices as far high as PKR. 60,000/- for an ample sacrifice it is no surprise that the individuals offering group sacrifices for cattle receive more business as the years pass.

Of course there are still those who can’t seem to help taking a knife to their favourite animal every Eid regardless of what it will cost or considering the price that they now have to pay compared to just a few years ago. This does serve as an interesting case study on the penetration of capitalism that an entire market is catering to the whims of those who can afford to buy an animal at the cost of a Suzuki FX.

Recently I was passing through the goat market in Saidpur village long after Eid. After a bit of research, I discovered that the animals can go up 100% in price during Eid days. That is a price we pay for not following through.

Though tradition dictates that we develop an attachment to the animal before sacrificing it, times have moved such that this requires time and effort that is exhausted going into Eid.

The following has probably been proposed already but I fail to see the reason behind not adhering to this as it requires just as much effort from an individual at a much lesser cost.

The most logical thing to do would be to buy an animal early preferably at a younger age (a year before Eid, or at least 6 months). You can then nourish and care for the animal until Eid. This is the traditional way that people have cut short and end up paying heavily for. But the premise is not defeated.

There are numerous farms across the country that people can rent out for a maintenance cost plus profits. A cost that even if cumulated should get you a discount from what you would otherwise have paid for on Eid. This way even ladies can partake in this process without having to visit the “bakra mandis”.

This can also serve as a business model for local entrepreneurs who can make localized farms that ensure that an animal bought at least 6 months in advance will be catered to and charge a monthly maintenance cost which must be less than the net cost of the animal. For insurance purposes, these animals can be tagged per owner to track their progress. The advantages of this approach are that you can track the animals’ progress directly and know exactly what you are getting when the time comes.

Any offspring of the animals (if there are any females) can be kept by the business owner for general consumption or for resale; an added advantage that can be reached via consensus from the owners. Or the businesses can use these offspring to replenish any stock that may have died or become diseased.

When it comes to Eid, the animal can be retrieved a day or two early. The same farm can offer discount transportation around the same time bracket making things easier for owners and generating more revenue for the business owner. The rest of the process is direct. Additionally the same farm can offer services that the consumers can pay extra for a butcher’s services and take the meat to their homes.

From the consumer’s perspective, finding an animal will require less of an effort as the final state of the animal will be managed through the monthly cost you will be paying and it will save you money that you would otherwise have spent on top of avoiding the rush that engulfs everyone’s Eid.

I sincerely hope you all had a great Eid even though it is long in the past, but I am sure there is still ample meat. If you have some to spare, feed another mouth.

Writer’s notes:

1-      This is an event that is supposed to help explain the concept of self-sacrifice. I can’t seem to track the specific point in time that this became a livestock version of a car show.

 

2-      Nobody will offer a discount unless they have reason to. By submitting to the whims of these overpriced markets we are giving them a free pass.

 

3-      This may seem untimely but if you want to put this advice into practice, this article is actually early.

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