As preparations for the Eid-el-Kabir festival intensify, ram sellers at major markets in Ogun and Lagos states have expressed concerns over low patronage, attributing it to the rising cost of rams and the prevailing economic challenges.
Traders at the Ibafo, Kara, and Agege markets, who spoke with our correspondents on Wednesday, said the high cost of transporting rams from Northern Nigeria had significantly affected their selling prices, resulting in reduced customer turnout compared to the same period last year.
At the Ibafo market, a trader, Rabiu Abubakar, lamented the poor sales, noting a sharp contrast to the previous year’s performance.
“If you were here at this time last year, you wouldn’t see people sitting idle. Sales were very impressive then, but this year, things have been slow,” he said.
According to him, rams that sold for between N150,000 and N180,000 last year now cost between N250,000 and N280,000—an increase of over 55 percent.
“We cannot sell at a loss. We are pricing based on our cost, which is much higher this year due to the increase in prices from the North,” he added.
Another trader, Sabo Sheu, echoed Rabiu’s sentiments, highlighting transportation costs as a major factor contributing to the hike in prices.
He explained that the cost of moving livestock from the North to the Southwest had significantly increased, further compounding the pricing challenges and discouraging buyers.
