As the Eid-l-Kabir celebration approaches, cattle sellers in the Bauchi metropolis said the market is not booming as expected.
The dealers said the low patronage is not unconnected with the current economic situation.
Abubakar Bura Adamu, a cattle dealer in an informal cattle market along AY Makama fuel station, told WikkiTimes people would love to patronise them, but they cannot do that without money in their hands.
Eid-l-Kabir: Kano Residents Turn to Camels as Cattle Prices Soar
“Alhamdulillah, business is moving but not very fast,” he said. “It is very slow, unlike the previous years. Customers are purchasing the animals but not very well.”
Abubakar added that some of the customers are complaining about the price and have decided not to buy until after the celebration or when the price is a little bit low
“In the previous years, one hardly opened for business without selling more than five cattle but this year is quite different and as I speak to you now, none of us has sold a single one,” he said.
The situation is above imagination, says another seller, Abubakar Abdulhamid, who explained that about five people now contribute money to buy one cow.
“Pertaining to the issues of buying animals for celebration, people are really trying but seems like things aren’t going well because it has gotten to the level that four or five people contribute money within themselves to purchase a cow whereas it wasn’t like this before,” he told our reporter. “Some of the customers even buy on debt because it is difficult to find someone that will buy these cows and pay instantly, most of them buy on debt and will pay before the Eid celebration”
Meanwhile, a customer Aminu Tatimu of Unguwan Jaki area, who came to purchase a cow said the dealers are not making profits like they did in the past.
“The person who sold this cow to me told me he gained only N7,000 from selling the cow after all the stress and everything he has passed through on the cow,” he said.
Aminu further explained that most of the people living in the state, mostly depend on monthly salaries and a result of that, can’t patronize the cows.
“To be sincere people don’t have money and as you know Bauchi people mostly depend on salary,” he said. “Since today is the 21st of the month, some of the people are expecting the government to do something urgently in order to know the next step.”
