Ram dealers in Kano state have expressed concerns over low patronage despite few days the the Eid ul Kabir festival.
A visit to the Gandun Albasa Animal Market revealed that many sellers spent the entire day idly, with few buyers coming to purchase sacrificial animals.
Speaking to Radio Nigeria, the chairman Gandun Albasa Animal market, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed Muhammad, noted that although people come to the market to ask about prices, few are actually buying.
He explained that while some customers are purchasing smaller rams priced between ₦80,000 and ₦150,000, many are unable to afford the larger ones.
According to Alhaji Yusuf, the price of rams now ranges from ₦80,000 to ₦1 million, cows from ₦250,000 to ₦2 million, and camels from ₦500,000 to ₦1 million.
He urged the public to disregard rumors about exorbitant prices, encouraging them instead to visit the market and see for themselves.
“ As you can see few people are standing near some animals asking for prices but at the end most of them leave without buying “
An animal dealer, Alhaji Anas Garba Abubakar, explained that in previous years, ₦2 million could buy over twenty rams from local markets.
“But this year, you can only get about five rams for the same amount,” he lamented.
He attributed the price surge to factors such as the ban on ram import from Niger and the persistently high cost of animal feed, which remains unchanged despite a drop in food prices across the country.
Prospective buyers Abdullahi Kabir and Bashir Ibrahim Hassan also shared their after visiting the market.
“We came here to buy rams, but as you can see, we have to go home and prepare again. The prices are just too high,”.
They urged the government and relevant stakeholders to take immediate action to prevent the situation from worsening.
Traditionally, the days leading up to Eid ul Kabir see animal markets filled with buyers eager to purchase their sacrificial animals.
However, this year many markets are experiencing a notable drop in patronage.
KHADIJAH ALIYU
