Skilled vs untrained: Qasai rate 2026 in Lahore for Eidul Azha

LAHORE – As Eid-ul-Azha 2026 approaches, people have started searching for butchers (qasais) to book services for the slaughtering of sacrificial animals. Every year, millions of animals are sacrificed to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail (AS). Amid a significant rise in the prices of sacrificial animals, butcher service rates for 2026 have also increased. In Lahore, two parallel categories of butchers are being seen ahead of Eid — skilled professionals charging higher fees, and relatively inexperienced or semi-skilled individuals offering lower rates to attract customers. Skilled Butcher Rates 2026 Experienced butchers report that bookings for the first and second days of Eid are already nearly full. Danish, an expert butcher specializing in goats, sheep, and dumba, said he is charging between Rs8,000 to Rs10,000 for slaughtering a goat or sheep weighing around 15–25 kg. For heavier animals, his charges range from Rs12,000 to Rs15,000. He added that these rates apply to the first day of Eid, while prices drop by up to Rs3,000 on the second day. Muhammad Alam, who operates a beef shop and handles a large number of cattle during Eid, said his rates range from Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 for a cow yielding around two to 2.5 maunds of meat. He added that charges for heavier animals can go up to Rs35,000 to Rs45,000. According to him, there is a difference of Rs5,000 to Rs10,000 in rates for the second day of Eid. Semi-Skilled /Untrained Butcher Rates 2026 Talha, who runs a BBQ shop in Lahore and also offers slaughtering services during Eid, said he is not a professional butcher but has learned basic meat-cutting skills from elders in his family. He said he charges Rs6,000 to Rs7,000 for goats or sheep, while slaughtering a cow costs between Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 on the first day of Eid. Another man, who do not have any experience, told he is newcomer in the field, saying he is charging only Rs4,000-Rs5,000 per goat or sheep.