KUWAIT: Sheep pictured at the sheep market yesterday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra KUWAIT: Sheep pictured at the sheep market yesterday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: With Eid Al Adha just around the corner, the livestock market is seeing an unreasonable hike in prices. Demand for sheep has pushed the price of Nuaimi sheep to KD 120-150, while Iranian sheep prices have reached KD 60-80, depending on the breed, source, age and size. During Eid Al-Adha, Muslims who have the means are required to sacrifice an animal, usually a sheep, cow, goat, buffalo or camel. Kuwait Times visited the sheep market to find out the price trends.

"The price of sheep ranges from KD 60 to KD 150, with Nuaimi sheep the most expensive," said Badri, a trader at the market. He told Kuwait Times that prices are expected to go up as Eid approaches. "The price of Nuaimi sheep is KD 140 to KD 150 for large animals and KD 120 for small ones, Shafali sheep sell for KD 75 to KD 90, Australian KD 55, Jordanian KD 110, Arabian hybrid from KD 75 to KD 80, Iranian for KD 80, and Saudi for KD 120 to KD 130," he said. Badri said buyers should be aware that Muslims should only sacrifice healthy sheep and they can know this from its teeth.

Mohiuddeen, a Bangladeshi seller, said the price of sheep is determined by type and weight and most customers prefer bigger sheep for sacrifice. "Local sheep is in more demand and they weigh up to 20 kilos. We have other sheep that weigh 20 kg to 25 kg, in addition to Nuaimi and Saudi sheep that are known for their large size," he said. Mohiuddeen predicted that prices will remain the same. He asked people to check if the sheep they buy is sick or not by looking at the way it stands and if its head is down. He advised buyers to pay attention to the sheep's horns too.

"Prices of Kuwaiti sheep range from KD 90 to KD 120, Iranian sheep KD 60 to KD 65, and Saudi and the Syrian sheep KD 120 to 150. There are no Australian sheep in the market now," said Hussain, another seller. He added that sheep for Eid are not ready yet. Hussain said that the most popular sheep varieties now are Shafali, Syrian, Jordanian, and Iranian, apart from the local ones. "We maintain the same prices on all days because we don't want to exploit our customers," he said.

By Faten Omar