As preparation for this year’s Eid-el- Kabir celebration reaches its peak, for most Muslims residing in Abuja affording a ram or cow to offer sacrifice is beyond their reach as prices of animals have inflated.
Animal slaughtering on the 10th of Dzul-Hajj (12th lunar month) is an Islamic rite for any Muslim who is economically capable of sacrificing an animal to signify his total submission and gratitude to the Almighty Allah.
However, the hikes in the prices of animals ahead of Saturday’s Eid were so challenging that some of the buyers are unable to buy one. On the other hand, others may regardless of the hike go ahead with the sacrifice.
Mallam Mohammad one of the buyers who came to Dei-Dei market in Abuja said, “I came to Dei-Dei market to buy Sallah ram, but they are too cost contrary to what I was expecting. A similar ram I bought at N85,000 or N90,000 last year, now it is N140,000. I was going around since morning, but I have no choice but to buy.
To him Mallam Mohammad, a ram sold at N40,000 last year goes for N80,000 likewise this year while the one sold at N80,000 last year is now NN160,000.
“We pay N800,000 to Abuja and over N1 million to Lagos. He said the other reason is the increment of the animals’ feed.”
Yusuf Dauda, a cow seller, explained that there are drastic changes from last year’s prices of animals. “A cow we sold last year at N80,000 is now N1.5 million, but there is another prised N2.8 million yet it was not offered.
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However, Alhaji Umar MaiRago also a Rams seller said there is an alternative as there are animals with average prices that are sold at N50,000, stressing that they sell all sorts of rams with varied prices affordable to the average buyers.
While responding, the Chairman of Ram Sellers Association in the market, Abdullahi Abdulkadir attributed the sudden hikes to various reasons. He bemoaned transport fares and animals’ feed as some of the reasons to justify the increment.
Mr Abdulkadir added that if those factors were not considered, most of the sellers will end up having ample losses.
