Breeder vows not to raise cattle prices during Aidiladha
PASIR MAS: Despite rising costs, cattle breeder Zailani Hadzari of Kampung Betong in Seberang Pasir Mas will not increase his prices for Hari Raya Aidiladha.
The 55-year-old, who has been raising cattle for nearly 30 years, said he was aware that other breeders planned to raise the price to more than RM5,000 from the usual RM4,200 as prices of livestock were going up.
Zailani, however, chose not to raise prices despite the losses he incurred during the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I consider myself lucky because I get the supply of cattle from local villagers. I buy cattle less than 2 years old at less than RM3,000 per head.
“I bought them between the end of last year and early this year. When they are 2 years’ old, it will be a good time to sell them for korban (sacrifice of cattle or goats for Hari Raya Aidiladha),” said the father of five.
Zailani said the price of his cattle this year would remain less than RM5,000 per head.
“During the pandemic, I sold fewer than five cattle during Hari Raya Aidiladha. This year, I sold 19.”
Zailani, who took over the business from his late father, Hadzari Ghazali, said he fed the animals grass to save costs.
Malaysian Ruminant Transformation Generation Club chairman Nordin Mat recently said cattle prices had been going up 10 per cent a year for the last 10 years.
He said the price increased 20 per cent last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nordin said most of the cows to be sacrificed for Hari Raya Aidiladha this year could be imported from Thailand, but he was uncertain of demand due to the high prices.
He also expressed his concern over the likelihood that more people would subscribe to foreign korban packages, which were cheaper.