Sallah: Prices of livestock on the increase as traders lament low patronage

Traders are lamenting low patronage across markets in Lagos, as prices of various sizes of livestock have increased compared to what obtained in 2021

WesternPost gathered that a small ram at Owode Ram Market in Ikorodu goes for N80,000, a N10,000 increase compared to the amount the same size was sold in 2021.

Although, one of the traders, Abdullahi Umar, who spoke with our Correspondent said the price was negotiable but added that it can’t go bellow N75,000.

Chairman of Abattoir Meat Market in Agege, Alhaji Sa’adu Dandare Gulma, told WesternPost that the cost of transporting a trailer full of ram increased from N300,000 to N1million compared to what was obtainable 2021.

Gulma attributed the increase in prices of rams and cows to the sudden upshot in the cost of transporting the livestock from the North to Lagos.

“Everything is on the high side now and we have no choice than to add money to the prices of the rams. The price of the food we give to them have increased. We spend more on their feeding than last year and so we have to make profit even if it is little,” Gulma said.

Vice President, Zero Interest Multipurpose Cooperative Society, which purchase livestock in bulk for its members, Mr Bashiru Subair, said the cost at which the organisation bought livestockhas skyrocketed by 30 percent.

Like Gulma, Subair attributed the increase to the high rate of banditry and cattle rustling in the North, saying traders always face security challenges while moving down to the South.

“There is serious insecurity in Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara and the core north where we buy these livestock, so those who should have engaged in the rearing of these livestock have abandoned pastoral farming for the safety of their lives.

“According to the Hausas we also buy from, the cost at which the livestock is transported to Lagos from the North is around N1.3million per trailer. With this cost, there is no way the prices will not increase,” Subair said.

He also blamed insurgency in some parts of the country where they buy ram, saying the prevailing market situation and feeding of the animals also contributed to the increase in prices as well.

Subair suggested that the government should find a way of encouraging the transportation of the animals during Sallah period through the train, to reduce cost.

A ram dealer from Adamawa, who sells at Kara market, Haruna Babayaro, lamented that the incessant attacks by the Boko Haram had forced many dealers out of the business.

Babayaro said that most of the major routes used by traders to bring rams to the state had become death traps.

He said it takes a strong mind to remain in the business because in most cases Boko Haram do attack them on the way from the market and cart away all their rams and some might even lose their lives in the process.

“Before, our trading partners in Chad and the Republic of Niger used to bring rams down to Nigeria but it is not feasible now because of the security situation,” he added.

Babayaro said the cost of feeding the rams had increased rapidly, saying that a bag of feeds rose from N25,000 to N50,000.

At Kara market, a medium ram that was sold last year for N90,000, is now sells for between N100,000 and N110,000, while big ram goes for between N130,000 and N150,000, depending on the size.