Pricier cattle, declining orders: Breeders woes this Hari Raya Haji
MELAKA - Cattle breeders in the state admitted that the order for cows for the upcoming Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration has decreased compared to the previous year.
This was due to several reasons, including a more than 20 per cent increase in the price of cattle.
Cattle breeder Mohd Nor Ismail, 54, said the increase in price was due to the increasing cost of feed and labour shortages, apart from the current high cost of living.
He said the average price per part of the cow this year is around RM750 to RM850, compared to the previous price of RM500 to RM550.
In fact, he said that before the Covid-19 pandemic, the price of a cow weighing between 170 kilogrammes (kg) and 200 kilogrammes (kg) was estimated at RM4,000 per cow, but now the price had increased to RM5,000 for the same weight.
"Similarly, a cow weighing 250kg to 280kg is sold at RM5,800. Due to this, the demand for cows for Qurban this year is quite low.
"Breeders had to raise the price of cows a little since there is limited grass area and there are fewer workers, whereas 70 per cent of the price is only to cover operation costs alone," he said, who has been in this business since 2005.
He added that he hoped the government would look into policies to help reduce the breeders' burden.
Another breeder from Kampung Batang Tiga, Mustafa Mahmud, 62, also expressed similar sentiments and said he only sold eight cows this year compared to about ten cows previously.
He said the current economic situation also affects the number of cows ordered for the qurban this year because not many people can afford them.
"For example, we buy cattle at a price of RM4,500 each, and within three months we have to make sure the cow meets the required weight for qurban and sale.
"During this period, we have to feed the cows plenty of food, but despite the increasing cost, we can't raise the price too high," he said, who had been involved in the cattle breeding industry for 32 years.
He said he hoped a good mechanism could be developed to ensure the breeding industry does not burden the people and the price of cows can be controlled, not only during the festive season.
Meanwhile, a breeder in Permatang Pasir Permai, Alai Mohd Farhan Saharudin, 25, also said he is experiencing the same fate with the decrease of cows for qurban.
He admitted that not everyone could afford to join the Qurban programme, and some only had enough money for their sustenance.
"There are not many individuals who came to the farm to reserve cows for qurban with their families.
"So far, only mosques or large organisations came to order cows, but there were no individual buyers like in previous years," he said.
The order for cows had significantly decreased by about 20 per cent compared to last year.
Fatimah MZ Agro Farm Sdn Bhd managing director Zainol Abidin Mohamad said his company had prepared 300 cows to meet the customers' demand this year.
However, he has only received 110 orders as of now.
"Compared to last year, we managed to sell almost 200 cows. Perhaps there is less sale because the economy is quite weak at the moment," he said when met at his farm in Jalan Sintok, here, yesterday.
He said although the price increases every month, they still maintain the price between RM5,400 and RM6,000 per cow, depending on its size.
"If we want to reduce the price further, it would be difficult for us since we would have to bear the relatively high cost of cows' feed.
"Unless the price of fodder is reduced, InsyAllah we can offer a cheaper price," he said.
Zainol said his farm was still receiving orders until June 28.
"We also provide slaughtering services to customers who wish to ease their qurban process.
"So customers can come and get the meat only; the farm will manage all the slaughtering processes," he said.
