As Nigerians prepare for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, residents of Epe in Lagos State are lamenting the high cost of livestock. Eid el Kabir, tentatively scheduled for June 17, commemorates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah’s command.
A check by NAN on Thursday revealed that while livestock sellers are experiencing low patronage, customers are grappling with exorbitant prices. Despite the availability of livestock at popular ram markets like Oke-Oyinbo and T-Junction in Epe, sellers complain of low sales.
Mr. Jide Jinadu, a buyer at Oke-Oyinbo Cattle Market, expressed his displeasure over what he termed “the ridiculous prices of rams” amidst economic hardship. Jinadu noted that last year, Muslims had started buying rams by this time for the Sallah celebration, but this year the situation is different. “There are lots of livestock available for sale, but because of the high cost, there is a low turnout of buyers. I hope as Sallah draws closer, the sellers may reduce their prices,” he said.
Another buyer, Dimeji Ogundeji, was optimistic that the prices would drop when more rams flood the markets. “The competition is low for now. By the time more livestock dealers bring more rams to the community, I believe the prices will fall,” he said.
Similarly, Mr. Jimoh Alao noted that a cow which sold for N250,000 last year now costs as much as N450,000. “I came to the market to buy one cow and two rams. But unfortunately, the money I have can only afford one cow. I pray something urgent can be done to regulate the prices of livestock in the market,” he said.
Mrs. Yemisi Taiwo expressed her disappointment at the high price of rams at Oke-Oyinbo livestock market. She had come to the market on a friend’s recommendation for its relatively cheap prices, only to find that a ram she bought for N280,000 would have cost N170,000 last year.
Alhaji Ibrahim Gazu, Chairman of the Cattle Dealers Association at Oke-Oyinbo Market, attributed the high cost of livestock to the current economic hardship in the country. According to him, small, average, and big rams are selling at N250,000, N300,000, and N400,000 respectively, compared to N120,000, N165,000, and N195,000 last year. He cited the hike in fuel prices, global security challenges, and the change of government as reasons for the increased costs. “We also buy livestock from the farmers in the North. The amount we buy them determines the amount we sell and vice versa. We incur lots of expenses and we have to add it to the price of the rams. Transportation costs and others are not friendly too,” he said.
Gazu added that a cow that used to sell for N230,000 now sells for between N350,000 and N470,000. Many of the livestock are brought from Niger Republic, further adding to the costs. “People are complaining of the hike in price, but they must understand that we didn’t buy them cheap. So, there is nothing we can do but pray that things improve in the coming days,” he said.
