Customers buy sheep at the market ahead of Eid Al Adha festival in Doha yesterday. Pic: Kammutty V P / The Peninsula
Almost all coupons for sacrificing Australian sheep during Eid Al Adha issued by Widam, Qatar’s Meat and Livestock Company, were sold out yesterday, said a source from the company.
The company issued about 5,000 coupons at a cost of QR360 per Australian sheep to sacrifice on the first and second day of Eid Al Adha.
Speaking to The Peninsula, the source said that those who bought the coupons can approach the automated abattoir at Central Livestock Market, Abu Hamour to collect the meat of sacrificed animals. The distribution will take place from 9am to 5pm on the first and second day of Eid Al Adha (today and tomorrow). Those who could not get coupons and wanted to sacrifice Australian sheep can go to conventional slaughterhouse at the Central Livestock Market, Abu Hamour.
There are four slaughter houses at the market, one of which is automated (for Australian sheep), two are conventional and the fourth is for slaughtering cows and camels. “The conventional slaughterhouse at Central Livestock Market, Abu Hamour will be offering services to slaughter Australian sheep and other types of sacrificial animals manually on a first come first served basis,” said the source.
But it will take time as conventional slaughterhouse is expected to witness more people compared to the automated abattoir, he added. Two meat shops run by Widam at Central Livestock Market will be offering service to cut the slaughtered sacrificial animals into small pieces.
The slaughtered animals will be handed over at automated abattoir to the customers in two big pieces. If they want to get the slaughtered animals cut into small pieces,they can take it to the Widam meat shops at the market. The outlet will charge QR15 per animal. The source said that Syrian sheep offered by Widam are on high demand. Widam also offers Syrian sheep to Qatari citizens on a subsidised price of QR1,100 and to expatriates at normal prices at QR1,475 per sheep.
Widam outlet selling Syrian sheep at the Central Market is pulling huge customers because it is cheaper compared to those available at other outlets in the market.
He said that the company has imported Syrian sheep in cargo flights directly from the exporting country. And customers believe that Syrian sheep available at Widam outlet are authentic and that is the another reason for growing number of customers at the outlet. There are some sheep similar to the Syrian ones in the market and it is difficult to identify whether they were bred locally, in Iran or another country, he added.
