It is the busiest time of sales for livestock breeders in Turkey ahead of Qurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha), an occasion for animal sacrifice for Muslims. Though prices and costs increased this year, markets are still drawing buyers.
During the bayram, which starts on Saturday, the Muslim faithful mainly slaughter sheep and cows and the meat is usually delivered to the poor, along with a portion for the family members and relatives.
Ahead of the holiday, livestock markets are set up in every province, bringing together breeders and potential buyers. Marketplaces are a staple of the holiday, with traditional lengthy bargains marked by handshakes between sellers and buyers. Since last month, breeders have been shipping cows, goats and sheep to big cities from rural parts of Anatolia, particularly eastern Turkey, the livestock breeding hub of the country.
As a global crisis overshadows the economy, driving up food prices, marketplaces have seen their fair share of rises as well. Though they vary from province to province, the cheapest sacrificial animals are sheep, sold from average prices starting from $174 (TL 3,000), while the cows are sold starting from a price of $1,451 (TL 25,000). Some buyers prefer "hisse," or a joint purchase of an animal by different buyers who share the meat after slaughter.
Though most animals sold for the bayram are domestically bred, Turkey occasionally relies on imports for meat supplies. Currently, there are about 4.6 million animals fit for sale, according to official figures, as authorities assured that there was no risk of shortage.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry oversees the standards for the sale of sacrificial animals, assigning vets and other personnel in livestock marketplaces. Every animal on sale carries tags and official paperwork allowing buyers to trace their origin and examine whether they are healthy and fit for sacrifice.
Hacı Bayram Demez, a seller from the eastern province of Malatya, says prices did not rise very much compared to last year but the demand was still low. "I think people will wait until the last day to buy for a cheaper price," he told Ihlas News Agency (IHA), referring to the shopping rush with the expectation that sellers would lower the prices to sell out their stocks.
In Istanbul, some sellers have already sold out their stock. "I have only one cow left. Sales were good this year," Vatan Yıldız, a seller at the marketplace in city’s Bahçelievler district, told Anadolu Agency (AA).
Osman Yardımcı, who heads a federation of associations of breeders and butchers, told Demirören News Agency (DHA) that the markets "shrunk" this year due to high transportation fees. "The cost of shipping a truckload of animals was about $463 last year but it rose to $1,449 this year," he said.