mumbai rain and a spike in goat prices have hit sales of the animal for bakri eid the threeday bakri eid a festival involving sacrifice of animals begins on september 25 since this is the first bakri eid after the stringent maharashtra animal preservation amendment act extended the ban on slaughter of cows to bulls and bullocks in march most muslims are expected to slaughter goats during the festival though the number of goats in the market has increased sales are down due to prohibitive prices as well as rain which makes several animals fall illdeonar abattoir general manager dr kaleem pathan said of a total of 2 lakh goats that reached till wednesday just 120000 were sold sales may pick up as bakri eid nears said pathan goats are being trucked to mumbai from gujarat madhya pradesh uttar pradesh rajasthan and rural maharashtra according to bakri eid rituals large animals such as bullocks and buffaloes bought for sacrifice must be shared by seven people while a goat or a sheep is for just one individual large animals provided lowincome groups a big relief as seven people could pool in money to buy a bull or a bullock for around rs 15000 this made qurbani cheap an average goat on the other hand costs around rs 20000 today the impoverished are not mandated to sacrifice animals during this festival the glut of goats in the deonar abattoir forced the bmc to stop entry of the animal for a couple of days for the first time many accuse traders of hiking the price of goats but they dont understand that transportation cost has also increased profit margin has reduced said mohammed aslam qureishi president all india goat sheep breeders and traders association shahnawaz thanawala president mumbai mutton dealers association said he has appealed to goat traders to lower prices so that more muslims can perform their religious obligation of sacrificing animals during bakri eid many goat traders thought the beef ban would make people rush to buy goats but this has not happened so far most prospective buyers are still waiting and may buy goats just a day ahead of bakri eid when prices are expected to come down said thanawala buffaloes dont have many takers for bakri eid around 4700 have reached deonar but just over a 1000 were sold several clerics and community leaders asked those who cannot afford to sacrifice goats to arrange for bulls and bullocks in states where beef is not banned it is better if qurbani is given at a place where one stays but if it is not possible then it can be given anywhere all india ulema councils general secretary maulana mahmood daryabadi had told toi before he left for haj a couple of days ago