Livestock markets across Pakistan are encouraging the use of cashless transactions during the Bakra Eid season to streamline the animal trade [1].
The shift toward digital payments aims to address the security and efficiency risks associated with the enormous volume of physical currency exchanged during the festival. Because these markets operate at a massive scale, the reliance on cash creates logistical hurdles for both buyers and sellers.
Market participants, including farmers, traders, and families purchasing sacrificial animals, are being urged to adopt electronic payment methods [1]. The transition is particularly critical given the scale of the trade, which involves more than seven million animals [1].
Traditionally, the mandi—the local livestock market—has functioned as a cash-only environment. However, the sheer volume of money changing hands during the Eid al-Adha period has prompted calls for a modernized approach to financial exchanges [1]. Digital payments could reduce the risk of theft and the burden of carrying large sums of money through crowded market spaces.
Efforts to digitize the mandi are part of a broader trend toward financial inclusion in Pakistan. By integrating digital wallets and banking apps into the livestock trade, authorities hope to create a more transparent, and secure economic environment for rural and urban traders alike [1].
“The trade involves more than seven million animals.”
The push for cashless transactions in the livestock markets represents a significant attempt to formalize a largely informal sector of the Pakistani economy. By moving millions of transactions from cash to digital ledgers, the state can better track economic activity and reduce the systemic vulnerabilities associated with high-volume cash movements during peak religious festivals.
