By Olaitan Idris
Some livestock traders in Lagos have attributed the increase in the prices of rams and cows ahead of Eid-el-Kabir to rising fuel prices and transportation costs.
The traders told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the cost of transporting livestock from Northern Nigeria to Lagos had risen significantly in recent months.
A livestock dealer at the Idi-Araba ram market, Alhaji Musa Ibrahim, said transporters now charged much higher fees to convey animals to Lagos.
“Before now, transporters charged between N600,000 and N700,000 to bring trucks of rams to Lagos, but now they demand as much as N1.2 million because of fuel prices and road challenges.
“The increase has affected the prices of rams and cows in the market because we also need to recover our costs,” he said.
Another trader, Malam Sulaiman Abdullahi, said the high cost of transportation, animal feed and insecurity along major roads had negatively affected the livestock business.
According to him, many buyers complain daily about the prices, while sellers are also struggling with rising operational costs.
“The market is not easy for both sellers and buyers. Everything involved in transporting and keeping these animals has become expensive,” he said.
Some Muslim faithful also expressed concern over the rising prices, saying many families were finding it difficult to afford livestock for the Eid sacrifice.
Mr Babajide Olusola, a civil servant, said he bought a medium-sized ram for N550,000, compared with about N450,000 for a similar ram last year.
“Everything has increased this year. The sellers explained that transportation alone now costs almost double what they used to pay before fuel prices went up,” he said.
Also, Mrs Rukayat Bello said she and her husband spent about N1.8 million on a cow for the celebration.
According to her, many families now consider sharing cows with relatives and neighbours because individual rams have become too expensive.
“People still want to observe the religious sacrifice, but the high prices are making things difficult for many households,” she said.
NAN reports that Eid-el-Kabir, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, is one of the major Islamic celebrations observed by Muslims worldwide. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
