RIYADH: Sacrificial animals will be costlier by at least 20 percent to 40 percent during this year's Eid Al-Adha, market sources said. Sources attribute the high cost to short supply and high demand in the market. About four different types of goats are available in the market with varying price tags. Najdi, Naimi and Sawakini are imported and carry varying price tags. Najdi is sold for SR2,000 and Naimi is between SR1,200 and 1,500 while Sawakini carries a price of SR900 and more. However, Tej, reared locally in Najran farms, is the cheapest type available in the range of SR600 to SR800. The average price of a camel rose exorbitantly to SR4,000 as compared with SR2,800 last year, market sources said. The price of a Harri sheep has increased from SR500 to SR1,300 and a Sawakni sheep now costs SR950 as against SR350 earlier. The price varies also depending on the weight of the animal. Muhammad Yousuf, a sheep market vendor, said the price of goats is also going up because of the increased demand for sacrificial animals every year. “The price of goats is directly related to supply and demand in the market. The number of people opting to slaughter a goat is increasing every year,” he said. Citing his own example he said he was able to sell about 150 heads of goats in 2008. The sales increased in 2009 to 200 “and based on the enquiries I can safely say that the sales for this year will be about 250 heads of goats or more,” he said. He said people in Riyadh mostly prefer to slaughter locally reared Tej. He said the price of Tej last Eid was about SR450 to SR600, which now is expected to fetch at least 10 percent more. “This is because of increased price of meat in the international market,” he said. Explaining his own point he said the cost of meat in the Saudi market has gone up to SR28 per kilogram from SR20/kg some two years ago. Abdur Rahman Al-Shehri, a Saudi vendor, said Saudi buyers prefer either Naimi or Nadji types. “Although the price of these types is a bit costlier: Saudis prefer to buy because of taste and tenderness of meat of these animals,” he said. According to media reports the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is expected to publish a price index for sacrificial animals in domestic markets in all provinces as Eid Al-Adha approaches. People can also look for sacrificial animals supplied by Islamic Development Bank and other charity organizations on comparatively cheaper prices during the three days of Eid Al
