Yearly sacrifice of up to 400 euros

Farmers say that expensive animal food has significantly increased the cost of keeping livestock, while humanitarian organisations warn that this situation is making it even more difficult for households and donors to carry out the dedication of the sacrifice during the Kurban Bajrami holiday. Even the Kosovo Islamic Community this year has raised the price for slaughtering a sacrifice in Kosovo to 200 euros, as it was last year 180.

Farmer Adorim Berisha emphasises for Kosovo that this year the price of offerings on their farm are brought from 220 to 400 euros, including the slaughter of the offerings. However, it explains some factors that have led to price hikes.

This year, the offering is from 220 euros to 400 euros on our farm, which includes slaughtering the offerings. This year, maybe the church told me there's a little bit of a lift, but not much compared to last year. Let us know that now even basic sheep's food or products are expensive, and we should be appreciated by the offering. For example, this year, up to 5 euros a sum of the hay, has been one and a half euros to two euros. Raising the price of cereals, as well as this, given that everything was expensive”, he said.

He stressed that prices vary depending on the type of animal.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian organisation “Islamic Relief Kosova” says 26 years now implement the distribution of sacrificial meat for families with orphans and households in social assistance. The department's manager for the establishment of local funds in this organisation, Dreem Gashi, said that the increase in the price of the ferries this year has resulted from the overall increase of prices in the market and a demand for animals.

“Unfortunately, just as the price hikes in the market of everything, of every product, have subsequently affected the issue of sacrificial animals. Especially now that the demand is too high, so, in terms not only in Kosovo but also abroad, in the whole world, and it is known, every time in fact, every Bajram has gone up the prices. But it's something that's not dependent, it's not up to us, it's up to the suppliers. But we've wanted in this case to offer opportunities to our donors who, for whom it might be a high sum, which is 200 euros is not even small”, Gashi points out.

Gashi also explained the procedures the organisation follows for identifying beneficial families and distributing sacrificial meat.

He stressed that the organisation applies strict criteria for suppliers and meat control before distribution.

Otherwise, the slaughter of the offering is one of the most important religious rituals in Islam and is performed during the festival of Kurban Bajrami, in obedience, sacrifice and approach to God. This ritual relates to the story of the prophet Abraham, who in Islam was willing to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God's command, but in the last moment, God replaced him with a sacrifice.

For Muslims, the slaughter of the sacrifice symbolizes devotion, solidarity, and assistance to families in need, as sacrificial meat is distributed for relatives, neighbors, and social levels of the most difficult economic conditions. This year's Kurban Bajrami holiday in Kosovo is 27 May.