Salesmen in the livestock section of Doha Central Market are getting ready to cater to the high demand for sheep anticipated for the upcoming Eid al-Adha.
Speaking to local Arabic daily Arrayah, the salesmen stressed that they have stocked considerable quantities of both local and imported sheep. The imported sheep mostly include Iranian, Jordanian and Syrian varieties as well as, for the “first time”, Turkish and Iraqi sheep, they inform.
Prices range from QR1,050-QR1,150 for Turkish sheep and from QR1,100-QR1,200 for the Iraqi variety, while Iranian sheep have the lowest price of QR900, the report states. Local sheep are often sold for the highest price due to the huge demand for this variety among Qataris.
The number of local sheep on display at this time will be “higher than last year due to good production in local farms and preference for this type of sheep among customers”, the salesmen point out.
Some customers prefer to buy sheep well ahead of Eid as they expect prices to go up as holiday period nears. Besides, they prefer to feed them at home for a while before slaughtering them.
Farah Ahmed, a salesman at the market, said traders have imported a large number of sheep ahead of Eid al-Adha and supply levels at the market are “very good”. This is also because of the availability of a considerable number of Turkish and Iraqi sheep at reasonable prices. He added that a good number of customers have started preferring such varieties for their quality as well as good prices.
Abdulrahman Mohamed, another salesman, said a large number of local sheep have been supplied this year with prices starting at approximately QR1,400 a head. He noted that this the most preferred type of sheep among Qataris, who look for Syrian sheep in case the local variety is not available.
He stressed that the quality of locally produced sheep is among the best as farmers in Qatar take proper care of them.
Mohamed Basheer, a salesman at the market, said he has good stocks of Turkish sheep - which are available in big numbers this year - due to their relatively low prices and high quality. Customers have already started showing interest in this variety and the demand is expected to go up in the coming days, he added.
Al-Mahdi Abdullah, another salesman, agreed that the market has adequate stocks of various types of sheep, which will appeal to the different tastes of customers. Besides, he feels that prices have gone down for most varieties due to the good supply.
Both local and imported sheep are available in adequate numbers at the Doha Central Market, say salesmen.
