KANDHKOT - The prices of sacrificial animals have reached beyond purchasing limits of buyers.

According to observers, prices have increased by 20 to 30 percent. However, thousands of animals including cows, camels, lamb, sheep and goats from various parts of country have arrived cattle markets of Kandhkot, Kashmore and Tangwani ahead of Eidul Azha.

An average sheep and goat is available at Rs 18,000 to Rs 30,000 while bulls and cows are available at Rs 70,000 to Rs 130,000.

Prices have skyrocketed this year, said a buyer Anwar Ali Chachar who was busy purchasing an animal from a market.

Another buyer Kaleem Ullah Khilji noted a 20 percent increase in prices of sacrificial animals throughout markets.

Muhammad Uzair, a trader at cattle market, said that high costs of fodder, heavy transportation and entry charges and other expenditures were behind the price-hike.

Rauf Khan and Habib Akhtar said that the sale of sacrificial animals had dropped as compared to previous years. However, they hoped that sale will gain momentum in the last three days as local buyers start visiting the markets.

There are three cattle markets in Kashmore, Kandhkot and Tangwani.

These markets are lacking of basic facilities such as clean water, grass, shelter, sanitation and security. It was also learnt that there was no proper monitoring system of the charges collected from each seller and buyer.

It was observed that district administration and other authority concerned have turned a blind eye towards these markets, as not a single doctor or any staff present in the markets for proper check up and vaccinations of the animals.

On the other hand, it was also found that butchers were demanding more charges than the last year.