Eid goats brought in from across nation

A two-year-old goat of the Jamunapari breed is the tallest at the Deonar abattoir.

A two-year-old goat of the Jamunapari breed is the tallest at the Deonar abattoir.

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Jamunapari is one of the 1.5-lakh goats up for sale in the city’s biggest slaughterhouse in Deonar for ‘kurbaani’ (sacrifice) on Bakri Eid next week. Muslims will celebrate Bakri Eid on November 6 or 7 depending on the time the moon is sighted.

“This is the first time we have brought around 50 Jamunaparis to the city. The goats are priced at approximately Rs 2.5 lakh each as they are a pure breed,” said Shahid Khan, owner, Mez Agro and Livestock Farm near Jaipur. “At the time of Bakri Eid, Muslim families take home the goats without bargaining too much.

It is a holy ritual and spending a few extra thousands does not matter,” he added.

Seated a few metres away from the Jamunaparis, was three-year-old Tagar, a wild goat from Ooty. “They are a very strong breed and look very beautiful. It is very popular in Mumbai because of its delicious meat,” said Naval Singh, the vendor, who has brought along 45 feral goats.

The goats being reared in the abattoir have been brought from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Ooty. “The price range of the goats varies from Rs 10,000 to Rs 3 lakh based on its breed and health. We will be installing 17 closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) to combat theft,” said PK Dete, general manager of Deonar abattoir. The authorities have also covered the entire 64-acre plot with barbed wires on the compound wall.

They were caged and starved,” rued Khan. “From the time they have been returned, they haven’t been eating well and their market price has dipped by Rs 15,000.”