Less than two days to the Eid-el-Kabir Sallah festivities, rams and other livestock dealers in Adamawa have decried low patronage amid unprecedented hike in prices.
Some dealers, spoken to in Jimeta and Yola markets, described the market condition as discouraging.
Muhammadu Yellow, the sarkin Tike Jimeta, said the was recording low sales as against the high patronage during the previous festive season.
Sarkin Tike, attributed the situation to the effect of coronavirus pandemic and increased in the supply of animals to the market.
‘’ I have been in livestock business for over 40 years now, but I had never witnessed such difficult times as this time.
‘’ There is significant increase in ram prices due to high-cost animal feeds, just as buyers, on the other hand, decries of hard time, no money,” he said.
Another dealer, Mallam Musa Bala, said he was spending much on feeding the animals causing a heavy drain in his pockets.
He noted that they keep the animals for a longer period of time due low of patronage, adding that the trend exposed them to losses.
Bala, however, expressed the hope that the market condition would improve in the next coming days as the workers got their salaries.
“A medium-size bag of weed sold at N2, 500 as against its old price of N1,000 during the previous festive season.
“Prices are slightly up to cover for the expenses on animal feeds,” he said.
According to him, ‘’ prices shot up in the past few weeks due to the high cost of transportation occasioned by the COVID-19 lockdowns.’’
Ahmad Baba a ram buyer, bemoans that, ‘’ it’s not so hike as last year but economic crunch affects many prospective buyers.
‘’ I have to squeeze the little I have to buy this small ram at the cost of N40, 000.
‘’ The economic is biting, ‘’ said he.
Cattle prices had shot up by about 25 per cent in the past few days, ‘’A medium-size bull sold at N250, 000 and small size cow costs N125,000 as against N220,000 and N100,000, it sold within the same period last year,’’ said Maigari Jauro another cattle dealer.
For now, COVID-19 pandemic, high cost of transportation, and scarcity have triggered a significant price increase of major household items across Adamawa markets.
Yusuf Abubakar, a foodstuff buyer said he has limited for celebrating Sallah. He said, ‘’ We only buy the necessary things.
Abubakar, a resident, described the increment as unprecedented. He said a big basket of tomatoes goes for N10, 000 while traders would only sell a small basket for N2, 500 with pleas. “Before now, you can get a small basket of tomatoes for N1000,” he said, adding that everything in the market has been increased.
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