RISING COST OF QURBANI AND INFLATION

Inflation, economic disparity, natural disasters, climate change, and supply chain disruptions, are at an all time high globally. This means there has been a rise in the cost of nearly everything! You may have noticed this in local grocery stores and gas stations and daily expenses — essentially reflected in every aspect of life.

So what exactly does this mean for the Qurbani Program you support through Islamic Relief Canada?

To accommodate the increased costs of animals, operations and supplies, while remaining true to our values of excellence and trustworthiness, Islamic Relief Canada has increased the prices of Qurbani globally.

This is to ensure we can choose the most reliable suppliers and upkeep the quality of our animals, continuing to perform your Qurbani in the most trusted manner. Ultimately, this ensures we are able to operate sustainably and responsibly long into the future.

Why does Qurbani need to be at a higher price?

From inflation to humanitarian disasters, the cost of Qurbani has been impacted all around.

Ongoing humanitarian crises, similar to natural disasters, exacerbates pricing. They cause supply chain disruptions and a scarcity of resources, driving up the cost of all goods. With a huge increase in such humanitarian disasters, from massive droughts and flooding, to earthquakes and political unrest – the cost of nearly everything has increased.

Our Qurbani program is priced based on our values that prioritize providing a high-quality service to our rights-holders around the world. Our process values:

 

1. Sourcing high quality animals from local farms and traders, to ensure donors are getting the best value for their money and rights-holders are receiving good quality meat.
2. Managing the entire transportation and logistics network to ensure the animals are treated in the best possible way, and that all meat is handled, packed and distributed with strict hygiene standards in place.
3. Involving local Imams, scholars, and skilled butchers to monitor and perform sacrifices to ensure Shariah compliance.

 

The price of your Qurbani includes all the costs associated with caring for the animals, fulfilling the sacrifice, and distributing the meat without any waste. We work to make this program cost-effective while maintaining quality, offering the best value to both our donors and rights-holders.

Why are our Qurbani prices higher than other organizations?

Islamic Relief’s Qurbani prices may be slightly higher than those of other organizations, but this is because we prioritize providing a high-quality service to our rights-holders.

We go the extra mile by purchasing healthy animals that yield more meat for our right holders. For instance, in Gaza, the cows we purchase have an average weight of 480 kg, surpassing the weight of cows selected by other organizations. This means your Qurbani reaches even more families, providing more meat to feed them for a longer period of time.

We also strongly believe in investing in various components of the Qurbani project to ensure its effectiveness. This includes:

• Conducting needs assessments
• Collaborating with local authorities
• Sourcing higher-spec livestock
• Implementing rigorous monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning processes

These additional efforts are reflected in our prices as they contribute to reaching the most vulnerable right holders in the most dignified and effective way possible!

Our commitment is to serve right holders with dignity and respect, while also considering the well-being of the environment.

When it comes to slaughter practices, we ensure that they are conducted in appropriate sites with proper drainage and waste disposal systems, avoiding the issue of leaving waste unattended.

Our strategy to being cost-effective while ensuring quality

Islamic Relief’s programming has always factored in cost-effectiveness by ensuring the timely procurement and distribution of deliverables. Our teams on the ground plan for programs months to a year in advance.

For example, country offices search for suppliers and set fixed prices well before Ramadan and Qurbani to avoid hiked prices closer to these months. During this search, the country office also minimizes the cost of all purchases by conducting fair tendering and selecting the highest quality product/service with the lowest bid.

Why are some countries grouped together under different price points?

While the price for livestock animals and logistical costs differs from country to country, we base our price on the average calculation of those countries’ prices within a particular region, with the exception of outlier countries. In countries like Malawi, Mali, and Niger, the animal prices are generally lower compared to countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and Gaza.

These variations in animal prices and logistical expenses directly impact the Qurbani prices set for each country, ensuring a fair and reflective pricing structure. Qurbani options have been grouped together primarily by region and secondarily to include countries where the pricing is higher or lower than the particular region.

For example, Group B consists of primarily Asian countries but also Somalia and Sudan. Humanitarian crises in these countries have spiked the cost of animals and processes, grouping them closer in price with other countries in Group B rather than their closest regional group.

This price of Qurbani includes all costs associated with fulfilling and distributing your Qurbani.

What does this mean for pricing in the future?

Islamic Relief will continue to monitor the rising costs, mitigate their effect on our programming, and provide you with cost saving options. Any changes to program and product costs will not be sudden or without ample notice. Donors will always be provided with an explanation behind increases in pricing.