Bakri Eid 2026: Sheep prices rise sharply across Hyderabad markets

Demand for sheep and goats has surged in Hyderabad ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, with traders bringing livestock from multiple States. Rising fuel costs have increased prices, while temporary cattle markets across the city are witnessing heavy crowds preparing for the three-day festival.

Hyderabad: With Eid-ul-Adha, popularly known as Bakri Eid, around the corner, the demand for sheep and goats has seen a sharp increase in the city and suburbs. Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the 10th day of the Hijri calendar month of Dhul Hijjah.

During the three-day festival, people sacrifice sheep, goats and cattle on a larger scale in the city. To meet the huge demand, traders from Telangana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat bring in sheep and goats to the city and sell them in the market.

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“The prices have shot up due to the rise in fuel and summer season. A sheep yielding around 12 kilograms of meat costs around Rs 14,000 in the market in the current festive season,” says Shamsuddin, a commission agent at Jiyaguda market, one of the oldest and biggest cattle markets in the city.

Usually, a sheep over one year of age is considered for the sacrifice on Eid al-Adha. “A sheep that was one-eyed or whose ears had been cut and some of it left hanging, or any whose ears had been cut from the back, or any whose ears had been torn or split is not considered for sacrifice,” said Ilyas Shamshi, Qateeb, Masjid e Osmania, Sultan Bazaar.

People prefer a sheep that yields between 10 and 12 kilograms of meat for a sacrifice. A few families go for heavier sheep weighing between 25 kg and 30 kg, and it costs around Rs 30,000 each. People usually buy between one and four sheep; in certain cases, the numbers are high.

“The number of sheep sacrificed in a household depends upon the individuals who qualify for offering Qurbani; some families sacrifice up to 20 sheep and even more during the three-day festival,” said Mohteshim Khan, a sheep trader.

Several temporary markets are set up in Jalpally, Tolichowki, Chanchalguda, Nanal Nagar, Mehdipatnam, Musheerabad, Golnaka, Falaknuma, Khilwat, Chandrayangutta, Banjara Hills, Zehra Nagar, Borabanda, Kishanbagh, Azampura, AC Guards and other areas in the city in the run-up to the festival.

Muslims sacrifice sheep or cattle as a practice and divide the meat into three equal parts. While one part is distributed among friends, acquaintances and relatives, the other part is for the poor and the destitute and the remaining one they keep for themselves.