Mai’adua Market: Ram dealers complain of low patronage amid short supply

Few days to the Muslim festival of Eid-el-Kabir, ram dealers at Mai’adua International Livestock Market in Katsina State complain of low patronage even when the animals are in short supply.

Our correspondent who visited the market on Sunday reports that the animal dealers’ complain followed the exportation ban by authorities of the Niger Republic military to Nigeria.

It was reported that this is happening in spite of Federal Government’s measures to facilitate smooth trade between the two countries.

Such efforts include the ongoing multi-billion-dollar rail project from Kano-Jigawa-Katsina-Maradi in Niger Republic, which President Bola Tinubu announced recently in Katsina, to be completed in 2026.

Meanwhile, a big ram which cost N1.7 million one week ago, cost N1.2 million on Sunday, while a medium size one sold at N700,000 last week cost less, as prices of small rams start from N100,000.

Bashir Hassan, a ram dealer from Niger Republic, said that authorities had directed that no one should be allowed to exit the West African country with camels, cows, rams or goats.

He added that the directive was due to flooding recorded in 2024 in Niamy, Maradi, Tawa, among others, which killed many animals.

He said “the authorities expressed fear that the country might experience shortage of animals during this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration.”

Hassan revealed that police, immigration, army and traditional rulers were directed to seize animals from anyone who attempted to cross the border with them.

He said many animals were siezed from those who attempted to cross the country’s border, causing short supply, even though patronage was also low compared with 2024.

However, another dealer, Alhaji Muazu Maifaru, explained that people from Niger Republic were more affected by the order, saying “but for the security challenge in some areas, Nigeria has big farms that can provide enough animals, even for exportation.

“People from Niger Republic are more affected than our dealers here in Nigeria, who mostly buy from them.”

Maifaru revealed that Nigeria still export commodities like maize, pepper, mango, rice, among others, to Niger Republic.

“You see Mangal rice in many places in Niger Republic,” he said.

He, therefore, cautioned the Niger military authority on such policies, which he said, negatively affect international trade.