JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — As Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, approaches, cattle markets across Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, are experiencing peak trading activity.
Just outside the capital, Jakarta, the Jonggol Cattle Market is bustling with hundreds of cattle traders serving buyers looking for sacrificial animals. Sales at this market have increased since last month as the Muslim community prepares for the celebration. This year, Eid al-Adha will fall on Friday.
Nina Herlina, 54, was a rarity among male cattle traders in a market known for its dirt, dust and animal waste.
Nina Herlina pets a goat at her livestock stall ahead of the Eid al-Adha festival in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Nina Herlina uses her mobile phone to take pictures of a goat to show to a customer ahead of the Eid al-Adha festival, at her livestock stall in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, June 4, 2025.(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
People sell cow and goats ahead of Eid al-Adha holiday at a livestock market in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
A man lifts a sheep for sale ahead of Eid al-Adha holiday at a livestock market in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Sheep and goats for sale are seen at a livestock market ahead of Eid al-Adha festival, in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
A trader sells his sheep to a buyer ahead of Eid al-Adha holiday at a livestock market in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
A trader, right, shakes a buyer hands after selling his sheep ahead of Eid al-Adha festival at a livestock market in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
A man pulls sheep he just bought ahead of Eid al-Adha festival, at a livestock market in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
People sell cow and goats ahead of Eid al-Adha holiday at a livestock market in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Nina Herlina reviews her trading record ahead of of the Eid al-Adha festival, at her livestock stall in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, June 4, 2025.(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Nina Herlina, center, poses for a photo with her workers at her livestock stall in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Nina Herlina pets a goat she sells ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday at her livestock stall in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, June 4, 2025.(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Two years after graduating from law school at Muhammadiyah University in 1994, she married a college classmate who was starting a cattle trading business. Her husband told her she didn’t need to earn a living, but after he passed away from COVID-19 in 2021, the mother of four faced the challenge of surviving the business. A year later, a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak hit Indonesia further exacerbating her losses.
In just a few years, Herlina has built a successful cattle business, leading a team of 25 men.
“Like it or not, I have to continue running this (business),” Herlina said from her pungent stall in South Jakarta, surrounded by cows, sheep, and goats. “Thank God, it provides jobs for my children and for those who really want to help us.”
The searing summer heat and extreme rainfalls sometimes disrupt the animal transportation chain, and the male-dominated environments are a challenge, but she says she focuses solely on her work.
Though cattle trading proved to be a natural choice for Herlina, it’s a profession still widely considered unappealing by most women. Her message for them: “Women must have courage to do this job, but believe me, it’s a very promising business.”
