As Eid al-Adha approaches, residents of the city of al-Hasakah head to livestock markets to monitor the prices of sacrifices and buy according to their capacity, in a customary tradition before the holiday.
According to traders and livestock breeders interviewed by Enab Baladi, the prices of sacrifices have increased compared to 2023, as the high price of any commodity when demanded in abundance has become an expected matter.
Khaled Mansour, a livestock trader in the al-Mashrifa market in the city of al-Hasakah, told Enab Baladi that demand is weak as Eid al-Adha approaches.
In 2023, Mansour used to sell no less than 15 sheep daily, while this year he has not sold more than 5 or 6 sheep daily, noting that current demand is more focused on “fateema” (a female sheep about two years old), as it is less expensive compared to rams.
The main reason for the decline in demand is the high prices of livestock sacrifices, which were also affected by the high price of feed, as the price of a kilo of barley reached 2500 Syrian pounds, according to the trader.
He added that the prices of sacrifices start from $200 depending on the type of sacrifice. The prices of ewes range between $230 and $270, and the sheep between $250 and $350, while the price of a ram starts from $400 and may reach $600.
The US dollar equals 14,800 Syrian pounds, according to the S-P Today website specialized in currency exchange rates.
Weak demand for purchasing sacrifices in the sheep market in al-Hasakah – June 8, 2024 (Enab Baladi/Rita Ahmad)
Not affordable
A few days ago, Abdurrahman al-Zein (35 years old) went to the sheep market in Qamishli to buy a sacrifice for Eid, but he was surprised that the price of the sacrifice reached $250.
Although he had $150, this amount was not enough to buy any ewe or sheep, which forced him to give up buying a sacrifice this year because he did not want to borrow money.
As for Mohammed al-Hassan (46 years old), he told Enab Baladi that he could not buy a sacrifice in the past two years but will be able to do so this year thanks to the help of his cousin who lives in Germany, who sent him some money specifically for buying a sacrifice for Eid.
The prices of sacrifices are high compared to monthly wages and living conditions. In August 2023, the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES) increased the salaries of its employees by 100%, raising salaries from a minimum of 520,000 Syrian pounds to 1,040,000 Syrian pounds, coinciding with the rise in prices of most food items and fuels.
Weak demand for purchasing sacrifices in the sheep market in al-Hasakah – June 6, 2024 (Enab Baladi/Rita Ahmad)