By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
As the countdown to Sallah festivities narrows, ram sellers across the country are currently grappling with a disturbing trend of low patronage.
Their voices showed frustration and worry as they attributed the slow patronage to a combination of economic challenges, spate of insecurity, and transportation costs for the animals sourced from northern Nigeria.
Our correspondents who spoke with some ram sellers in Livestock Market, Ukumi, Lokoja, yesterday observed that the increased cost of the rams.
ahead of the forthcoming Sallah celebration.
A cattle trader and Chairman of the Livestock Market, Abubakar Sanni, who spoke with NationalWatch Tv, explained that a big ram was sold between N500,000 and N700,000 with the least sold for N250,000.
Sanni said, “Rams are so costly this year and the reason for it is the insecurity in the North. We no longer get rams there anymore. We have to travel to Mali most of the time to get the rams and the money we spend in that process is contributing to the huge prices.”
A trader who identified himself only as Muhammodu said, “The effects of the activities of insurgents, banditry among others contributed to the surge in the prices of the rams as the supplies from the region had gradually reduced.
“The profits we make now are meagre compared to the amount we always spend on getting the rams here from Mali. Rams are very expensive this year and they are between N500,000, N650,000, depending on the size.”
Another seller in the Ukumi Livestock Market, who refused to give his name, said, “Prices of ram are high now. You know what is happening in the country these days. The smallest ram here now is N300,000.
“Though if you have N200,000, I can still find one for you, generally, in this place, we have rams of N400,000, N600,000 and N800,000. It is not our fault. The cost of transporting the rams to Lokoja is another thing, but there is nothing we can do about that.”
On his part, Moses Omale, a Christian who came to buy ram for his Muslim mother said rams were selling at the prices of N400,000, N300,000, N200,000 and N160,000.
He said, “There was a reasonable increase in the price compared to 2024 as the prices of animal feeds were also affected by inflation. The low turnout of buyers is not unconnected with the traditions in Kogi State that the buyers arrive at the market two to three days before Sallah to buy the animal to avoid theft at home.”
In the same vein, Alhaji Suleiman Zakari bemoaned the increased cost of the rams.
He said that a medium-size ram that was sold for about N70,000 last year was now between N130,000 and N180,000.
He said, “It is disheartening that the price of these essential items is getting this high daily, how can an ordinary man celebrate this Sallah with this situation of things for God’s sake? I don’t think I will buy any Ram.”
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