Online cattle sales to pick up the slack

Online cattle sales in the run-up to Eid-ul-Azha are expected to accelerate as the raging coronavirus infections would compel the government to whittle down the number of makeshift markets allowed each year to sell sacrificial animals.

Online marketplaces, e-commerce and Facebook-based platforms have ramped up their capacity to provide services from livestock to meat processing since the virus pushed many shoppers online in the last 16 months.

Their activity received a boost after the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 recently advised the government not to set up any makeshift markets, which usually mushroom during Eid-ul-Azha, in some big cities, including Dhaka and Chattogram.

The strict countrywide lockdown set to be reinstated from tomorrow will mean that people would rely more on online marketplaces to buy sacrificial animals. 

Many of the digital platforms are already offering discounts and vouchers. Some are facilitating free deliveries at the buyer's preferable date and time.

E-commerce platform Daraz started this year's 'Qurbani Haat' campaign in the middle of June. Listed sellers and farmers are uploading detailed information about cows from different cities.

"We have collected the most organic cows from small and medium-sized sellers through a non-governmental organisation at competitive prices," said Shayantani Twisha, head of media at Daraz Bangladesh. Its sales soared 140 per cent to 170 sacrificial cows ahead of Eid-ul-Azha last year.

People will not be keen to visit physical markets this year because of the worsening pandemic situation.

"So, we are expecting a higher volume of sales than last year," Twisha said.

Daraz is giving opportunities to new and women entrepreneurs in Gaibandha, Tangail, and Mymensingh to sell organic cows.

According to bikroy.com, the largest e-commerce marketplace in Bangladesh, the number of advertisements for selling cattle on its site is increasing.

Around 2,800 ads have already been posted on the website. Some 2,085 cows and goats were sold during last year's Eid through the marketplace.

"We are going to start the seventh season of the 'Birat Haat' competition where buyers and sellers will be rewarded," said Humyra Sharmind Alam, senior executive for marketing at bikroy.com.

The e-commerce firm received 9,331 and 8,070 advertisements for selling sacrificial animals in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Like last year, the top meat processor Bengal Meat is providing full-service Qurbani this year.

People just have to choose the cattle on Bengal Meat's website, and the rest – halal slaughtering and meat processing -- will be carried out through the processor's team of professionals.

Then the meat will be packaged in small units and sent to the customers' addresses.

The processor is allowing people to join a group and sacrifice a single cattle together.

"We have introduced it so that many people can get our service during the pandemic as we have limited capacity," Md Asaduzzaman Khan, head of retail at Bengal Meat.

Last year, the meat provider aimed to sell 1,200 cows and goats with processing service. The goal for this Eid is 1,500.

"These cattle come from our farm and we send them to our processing plant meeting food safety requirements from selection to delivery," said Khan.

Mehedey Hasan Rony, managing director of haatbazzaar.com.bd, said the e-commerce platform had already received 60 orders for cows and goats, up from 27 orders last year.

"The online cattle business is all about providing good service and quality livestock to customers. We source our cattle from farmers in the village and they are raised and fed well," he said.

The marketplace hopes to sell 100 cattle during this Eid.

On Monday, a memorandum of understanding was signed among the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) and Bangladesh Dairy Farmers' Association (BDFA) to set up a digital platform, www.digitalhaat.net, connecting farmers and buyers.

The DNCC will facilitate various services for the cattle sold through the marketplace, including selecting the places for slaughtering, providing shelter to cattle, ensuring water and electricity supply and sewerage service, and extending assistance to check the health of cattle through veterinarians.

The BDFA is to provide all kinds of infrastructure to the slaughterhouse in the proposed place and security personnel to guard the slaughterhouse.

The e-CAB will create an online platform for the sales of cattle directly from farms and uploading pictures of cattle.

According to the BDFA, online sales accounted for only 5 per cent of the total cattle sales on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha last year, up from 1 to 2 per cent in 2019.

There are 1.19 crore cattle up for slaughtering this year, including 45.47 lakh cows and buffaloes. The rest are goats, sheep and other animals, according to the Department of Livestock.

Meanwhile, farmers and traders are concerned about how to transport cattle to cities during the imminent strict lockdown.

"We haven't received any proper instruction from the government," said Md Shah Emran, secretary of the BFDA.

Cattle farming has gained traction ever since India imposed a ban on the export of cows to Bangladesh in 2014. Since then, farms are focusing on raising big cows by importing high-quality semen.

As the pandemic has dented people's income, customers are looking for small cows, dealing a blow to the farmers who have raised large cows. Many large cows remained unsold last Eid.

So, farmers fear huge financial losses this time as well.

"Cows from high-quality semen grow to weigh up to 600 kilogrammes (kgs) in two years, whereas local cows can have a weight from 100 kg to 150 kg. So, farmers are increasingly producing more big cows," said Emran.

Last year, he sold 10 of his 25 large cows.

"The demand for small cows was high and they were sold like hotcakes," he said, adding that although online sales rose last year, it still remains very low.