SHARJAH // Prospective buyers of sacrificial livestock for Eid Al Adha voiced dismay over the high prices demanded.
Emirati Abdulaziz Al Noman, who visited the animal market in Sharjah on Sunday before the Eid rush, said the prices were higher than he expected.
“I visited several shops and the prices for the naeemi breed [of sheep] were between Dh1,300 and Dh1,500,” said the resident of Al Qadisiya.
“The prices are really high compared to last year when I bought one for Dh1,200.”
Mohammed Iqbal, a livestock trader of 20 years, said prices were high because of short supply. But he said new shipments of sheep from India and Kashmir could ease the prices.
Ajman resident Mohammed Al Obaidi urged the authorities to control the price fluctuations. “Every year it’s the same – the prices skyrocket in the last two weeks before Eid,” he said.
“The traders would size you up and give you high prices, and you start to haggle with them until you reach a somewhat decent price.”
Ali Al Tunaiji, director of Al Dhaid Municipality, said prices were still within an acceptable range. “The najdi and naeemi breeds are selling at Dh1,100 to Dh1,300, while local brands go for Dh900 to Dh1,100,” he said.
tzriqat@thenational.ae
