In the wake Covid-19 pandemic acrros the country, small and large companies specializing in the sale of sacrificial animals and related services have entered the digital market, as customers minimize the risk of infection by purchasing online sacrificial animals for Eidul Azha.
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As a result, victims' online purchases in Pakistan this year are huge compared to the previous year. A large proportion of the population in all major cities of Pakistan prefer to take sacrificial animals home to protect themselves from the virus.
Online marketplaces such as OLX, Facebook and Instagram play a critical role in enabling small and large livestock and goat farmers across the country to advertise their livestock and sacrifice packages through free ad lists.
Farhan Khan, sales director of OLX Pakistan, said more than 20,000 animals were sold last year through the Eidul Azha platform. However, this year, more than 800 vendors list their pets on OLX daily, while more than 25,000 potential buyers visit the website to search for an appropriate offer, he said.
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"Seller feedback suggests that nearly 80% of the advertised animals will be sold within a week, reflecting the real potential of digital markets for such transactions."
He predicted that the number of buyers and sellers would continue to increase as the oath approached.
"We were incredibly inspired by how people can use Facebook for important religious occasions in these challenging times," a Facebook spokesperson told to media.
In addition to buying animals online, many people also need slaughter services that are considered hygienic and convenient as Pakistan is struggling to limit the spread of the disease.
Megastores has also entered the sacrificial animal market to increase profits and gain significant market share. In addition to selling sacrificial animals through its online and telephone booking services, Carrefour also offers slaughter services and ship meat for customers.
Jean Marc Dumont, Country Manager at Carrefour Pakistan, said the company's Qurbani Sahulat Service has grown by more than 100% this year as digital platforms continue to play an important role in promoting such services.
"We ensure that the animals are killed in accordance with Sharia law and that all meat is processed in accordance with international hygiene and HACCP standards for proper packaging," he said.
Daraz officials said the platform has partnered with a handful of offline meat companies to provide quotes to customers at Eidul Azha.
Punjab Govt of Pakistan has also launched a digital application for online buying of sacrificial animals with collaboration of district cattle markets named as ' Bakar Mandi Application'.
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