As the Eid-ul Adha celebrations draw closer, cattle and ram sellers in Kano are facing disappointing sales, with fewer customers turning up due to rising prices and the harsh economic realities affecting people’s ability to buy livestock.
READ ALSO: Kano residents express disappointment over Dangote Refinery petrol price
Kano, known for its vibrant religious activities during Sallah, usually experiences high demand for livestock at this time. But this year, the markets are witnessing a slow turnout, leaving many sellers worried.
Alhaji Abdullahi Uba, head of livestock dealers at the Kofar Naisa, disclosed to Daily News 24 that there has been a noticeable drop in patronage and a sharp increase in prices compared to last year. “Last year, good rams for Leyá sold for between seventy thousand and eighty thousand naira. But now, the same size ram sells for a minimum of one hundred thousand naira. For cows, a big one used to go for between 300,000 and 400,000 naira, depending on size. This year, the same size is sold at 500,000 naira and above,” he said.
Alhaji Abdullahi attributed the spike in prices to the diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the Niger Republic. He revealed that the Nigerien government had stopped the exportation of cattle into Nigeria, a move that has disrupted supply and pushed prices even higher. He also called on the government to restore purchasing power by addressing the economic difficulties facing the people, saying, “If people don’t have money, they can’t buy anything, no matter what the price is.”
Residents are also feeling the pinch. Ahmad Saleh said his family would celebrate Sallah with chicken this year, as the prices of rams and cows have gone beyond their reach. “We’ll stick to what we can afford,” he said.
Jafar Musa, another resident of Kofar Naisa, urged the government to intervene by creating policies that would help stabilize the market and make livestock affordable again.
Aliyu Ibrahim, a resident of Bachirawa, said the situation is disheartening. “Sallah is a time of joy, but how can we be happy when we can’t even afford a ram? Even the smallest ones are now out of reach. The government must wake up and do something about this,” he lamented.
