LAHORE, Pakistan: The online sale of sacrificial animals has so far failed to attract buyers as majority of the citizens prefer to personally visit cattle markets for buying animals of their choice and budget.
Several billboards have appeared in the city offering online sale of sacrificial animals indicating addresses of their websites.
The websites including “Bakraonline” and “Qurbanionline” are dealing with sale of animals and delivery options through online payments but both the companies have failed to catch a good number of faithfulls of the country.
“The people do not like to purchase sacrificial animals due to strange behaviour of some traders who use cheap tactics for selling.
People do not trust online marketing of sacrificial animals and our website could not sale more than 50 animals in 2016 and same situation is prevailing this year”, said a spokesman for Bakraonline” while talking to the state-run news agency on Monday.
He said that online sacrificial animals’ business would take some time to become popular among people. “It is just the start and people are getting information gradually about the business”.
There is a general trend that people visit sacrificial animals markets with their children and friends so that they could buy the animals of their choice, he added.
Muhammad Ali, owner of “Qurbanionline” said that their company sold more than 40,000 animals last year but majority of these animals were sold at display centres and a small number of animals were sacrificed through online system.
He added that the foreigners and overseas Pakistanis liked to order animals for “Sadqa”,”Aqeeqa” and “Qurbani” for sending meat to poor people as well as some centres working for deprived sections and orphans.
According to online websites, the rate of goat weighing 22 kilogram is Rs 25,000; 28 kilogram animals is for Rs 34,000; and 40 kilogram Rs 45,000.
The rate of camel ranges from Rs 125,000 to Rs 175,000 and its single share would cost Rs 24,000. A cow weighing almost 100 kilogram is available at the rate of Rs 80000 but the cost of pair is somewhat different from it.
Traders are also advertising their animals on social media (facebook and whatsapp) and some other trading websites including OLX, Darazpk, and Bolee.com but they have also failed to get business due to lack of people’s interest.
Abdul Majeel, a citizen said that there is a general trend that people visit cattle markets with their children so that they could buy the animals of their choice, saying that online business of animals is likely to get boost in coming years.
Another citizen said that there is abundance of smart gadgets available in homes and people want to use them to make their life easier, adding “The trend of online buying of the sacrificial animals will grow and is a reminder of the fact of how fast Pakistan is moving towards a digital future.”
