KOTA BARU: A cattle farmer was taken by surprise when his Limousin breed bull, "Merah", which he had been raising for over two years, became a sought-after animal for "ibadah korban" (sacrificial rites).
Despite the price of RM1,500 per share, an overwhelming response was received and until today, there are still residents inquiring about available slots for "ibadah korban" in two weeks.
The cattle farmer, Ghazali Ismail, 61, said he bought the bull over two years ago, when it was six months old, for RM5,000.
"Now the bull is almost three years old. After Aidilfitri, I only opened the price for sacrificial rites, which is RM1,500 per share.
"I did not expect so many people to be interested in Merah, even though the price is much higher compared to ordinary cattle.
"Until yesterday, there were still people coming to the house asking whether there were still vacant slots," he said when met at his residence in Kampung Senang, here.
He said the care of the Limousin-bred cattle was different from that of ordinary cattle, especially regarding feeding.
"Ordinary cattle usually eat twice a day at most, but for Merah, it is three to four times a day. Even at night, I still feed it if I see it hungry.
"I take good care of it and bathe it twice a day. Perhaps that's why people are interested and want to get Merah for sacrificial rites.
"Raising cattle is my hobby, and I only focus on one bull. After Aidiladha, I might buy another bull. I expect that for Merah's sacrificial rites later, one share will yield 40kg of meat, excluding the bones," he said.
Meanwhile, one of his customers, Saufi Yusuff, 42, said that despite the high price, he was willing to purchase a share for the sacrificial rites.
"I have known Uncle Ghazali for a long time and know how he takes care of his livestock.
"Despite the price, I still want it because we know what kind of food is given to the bull," he said.