Eid al-Adha during quarantine in Azerbaijan: sheep to be sold online

Azerbaijanis will not be going to the market this year to buy sheep for Eid al-Adha – they’ll order them online.

In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a new portal for online orders of sacrificial sheep has been commissioned in the country.

The website www.qurbanliq.kendden.az will field orders until July 31. The price will be 11.50 AZN for each kilogram of cut meat. 

This project is being implemented by OJSC “Aqrar Tədarük və Təchizat” under the ministry of agriculture within the framework of the project “From village to city”.

When ordering, citizens themselves will choose the place where they will pick up the sacrificial sheep, as well as the date and time. The citizen will get a text message with information about the order and citizens will be able to pick up the sacrificial sheep at different points of sale in the cities of Baku and Sumgait.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs has also made an appeal to citizens in connection with the holiday:

“This year, because of the pandemic, people will not be permitted to gather en mass to buy and butcher sacrificial animals, nor to get the meat cut or sold at any place that has not been specified for this purpose. In accordance with the requirements of the quarantine regime, you must go through the new sales portal when purchasing sacrificial sheep online.”

The online sale of sheep has provoked different reactions on social media. Many comments have been sarcastic:

“As far as I understand, Aqrar Tədarük və Təchizat OJSC is creating an inventory of the religious population in Azerbaijan. Otherwise, why would citizens be required to provide their FİN-code ID, as well as the phone number when ordering sheep?

Maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about, and sheep are chosen according to the FİN code?

P.S. despite the fact that you order online, they don’t need an email address. And you have to pick up the meat yourself. And I don’t understand what aspect of this is ‘online’”.

“Eid al-Adha sheep are going to be sold online. If the internet is a trick of Satan, will these sacrifices be accepted?”

“What a great time we’re living in. On the eve of Eid al-Adha, sheep are being sold online. It’s like buying a drone on AliExpress…”