As Muslim faithful in the country prepare to join their counterparts across the world to mark this year’s Eid-el Adha popularly called Eid-el Kabir celebration, prices of rams remain high in major markets in Katsina state.
This was attested to by some buyers who came from far and near to some of the markets to purchase the animals to be used for the celebration.
Compared to previous years, a bigger ram now goes for between 200 and 400 thousand Naira while the smaller ones are sold for between 30 and 40 thousand naira as the case may be. They blamed the exchange rate from the naira to Cefa.
This year’s Eid-el Kabir celebration is to be observed on Friday, 31st July 2020 however, with less than 48 hours to the celebration, a visit to some major ram markets particularly the Mai’adua, a border market to the Niger Republic in Katsina State showed availability of the animals but, low patronage due to price hike.
Some of the buyers who came from Lagos, Abuja and Kaduna with the hope of getting them at affordable prices complained about the high prices. While some blamed the hike in prices on the COVID-19 disease, others say insecurity and exchange rate of the naira to cefa,as a cefa exchanges for between 700 and 800 naira in the open market.
According to Ibrahim Jibril, a buyer from Kaduna state ” the prices are high compared to previous years. The bigger ones we bought for 100 thousand naira last year now goes for 200 thousand naira and if I buy them like that, I will resell them for between 230 and 250 thousand naira as the case may be”.
Also, another buyer Kazeem Oladimeji from Lagos state, says” the prices are high not because of the sellers but because of the exchange rate of the naira to the dollars which had negative impact on the Cefa since most of the animals are brought in from Niger Republic. Am calling on the government to do the needful about the exchange rate as Nigerians are really suffering.”
For Isaac Promise another buyer from Abuja, the story is the same He says” the ones we got for 70 to 80 thousand naira last year now sell for between 150 to 170 thousand naira up wards. It is not a do or die affairs, if I can’t but it, I will forget and go back”.
One of the sellers Nafiu Umaru attested to the hike in prices he also says it’s the result of the exchange rate between the naira and Cefa which is on the high side.
According to him, the smallest size now goes for between 35 thousand and 40 thousand naira as against the previous years when Rams sold for between 20 and 25 thousand naira.
Although most of the buyers say, they will remain in the market hoping that few hours to the celebration, the prices will crash for them to be able to make a purchase.
(Editor Paul Akhagbemhe)
