Yelutide: Livestock traders lament low patronage in Enugu

Livestock sellers at the New Artisan Market, Enugu, have lamented low patronage of their goods with just a few days to Christmas celebration.

Some sellers who spoke to our Correspondent in Enugu on Thursday, said the patronage was low compare to previous years.

Alhaji Danladi Abubakar, the chairman of Artisan Livestock Market, said the market is moving slowly compared to last two years.

He contributed the low patronage to the prevailing economic hardship, saying there is no money in circulation.

“A trailer load of the goods from Mubi to Enugu that used to cost N1.2 million, now costs up to N2.5 million with collection of different types of money on the road by the so-called “Produce operators”.

“A cow that use to cost N350,000 in 2021, now costs N500,000 due to the increase in prices of fuel, Diesel and transportation,” he said.

The chairman, retailers of Goat and Ram Association at the market, Yahaya Saidi, said the low patronage is noting to write home about.

“The price of Ram and Goat depends on the sizes, as we have one of N25,000 to N200,000, but a sizeable Ram and Goat cost from 100,000.

“Goats that we sold at N50,000 now costs between N70,000 and N80,000 and the one of N70,000 to N80,000 now costs from N100,000.

Another seller, Mr Sulaiman Mmaduabuchi, from Ebonyi State who sells Rams, Goats and other livestock, said the major challenges of the livestock sellers are transportation cost.

He said that Ram are now costly because a sizeable ram now costs N150,000 due to the high increase in prices of fuel and diesel.

Mmaduabuchi urged the federal government to reduce the price of transportation to make sales of the goods lower.

Mr Igwe Chukwuma, who wanted to buy a cow, said his plans and budget have been affected owing to the high cost of cow.

“We are here to see if we can buy a cow for Christmas and from what I am seeing, we have to make amends so as to get a good and cheaper one.

“We want to buy a cow for N300,000 but it seems we cannot even get a cow for N350,000 so, we have to make amends to get a sizeable cow which will cost up to N500,000.