By Ben Garcia
KUWAIT: For the second year, Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid Al-Adha amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Feast of the Sacrifice will again be a low-key event for many, as the world struggles to contain the virus. "In normal circumstances, we would've had many customers by now. But customers are few because of the pandemic; last year it was the same," Sunu, a Bangladeshi livestock vendor, told Kuwait Times.
Kuwait Times visited the livestock market yesterday to observe preparations and inquire whether prices have been affected by the pandemic. "Prices are the same as last year, but we have more choice this time," said Sunu, who has been working at the livestock market for the past seven years. The livestock market is located in Rai near the Friday Market.
"Sheep from Romania are cheaper because they are smaller compared to Kuwaiti, Iranian and Jordanian breeds," he said. Jordanian sheep have a price tag of KD 120, Kuwaiti sheep are sold for KD 150 to KD 200, while Romanian sheep are available for KD 60 only. The price of Australian sheep is between KD 60 and KD 80, depending on the size, and there are sheep from Syria and Saudi Arabia as well.
The vendor said livestock prices normally go up at the time of Eid. "Today, barely a few people came to purchase the sheep. Probably tomorrow we will have a bigger crowd of customers. Prices usually go up by KD 5 to KD 15 per head when demand is high," Sunu said.
Despite the pandemic, there haven't been any shortage of stocks. "We have enough stocks. There are very few activities, no company celebrations and no parties, so we mostly rely on individual customers only," he said. Children's entertainment venues are still closed, while all summer activities and camps have been banned.
