Despite a steep 50% drop in cattle prices across Lahore and other cities on the third day of Eidul Azha, cattle markets remained nearly empty. Sellers are struggling to find buyers even with heavily discounted rates, leaving many frustrated and ready to pack up.
Cattle traders said that many customers had already made their purchases earlier, leaving little interest in the remaining animals. A seller from Larkana said he brought a prize bull worth Rs. 15 million but couldn’t get even half that amount. He also highlighted poor market conditions, including a lack of clean water, forcing traders to buy water drums for Rs. 1,500.
Another trader said they spent Rs. 400,000 on transport alone to bring animals to Lahore. However, local buyers are offering only Rs. 200,000 for animals originally priced at Rs. 700,000. “How can we accept such losses?” he asked, expressing deep frustration over low demand and unfair offers.
Even with the significant price cuts, buyers are still asking for further reductions, making it hard for sellers to recover even basic costs. Some traders shared that they would rather take the animals back than sell them at throwaway prices.
Due to this, many cattle owners have now decided to return to their hometowns if the market situation doesn’t improve soon. While they hoped for last-minute buyers, the lack of foot traffic in the markets has left them disappointed and concerned about their losses.
Overall, the sharp fall in prices failed to attract customers, turning what should have been a busy selling day into a quiet and disappointing one for livestock traders.