Recession: Number of cattle slaughtered daily in Minna drops from 200 to 60

Recession: Number of cattle slaughtered daily in Minna drops from 200 to 60

Friday, September 9, 2016 10:07 am


cows

cows

The National Butchers Association of Nigeria (NBAN) in Niger on Thursday said that its members had reduced the number of cattle slaughtered from 200 to 60 per day.

Alhaji Sale Mohammed, NBAN chairman in the state who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna, said that this was due to increase in running cost.

“We reduced the number of cows we slaughter per day because we hardly meet up with high cost of cows, transport and labour.

“In the past we used to slaughter over 200 cows per day in Minna Modern Abattoir but now we slaughter 60 cows or less than that.

“It is really sad because this is the only means of livelihood we have. We hardly cover money for one cow after selling meat to consumers,’’ he said.

Mohammed said that a cow which costs N100,000 before had increased to N200,000; transport fare from cow market in Beji to abattoir in Minna increased from N5,000 to N10,000 per pickup truck.

The association’s chairman said that the cost of labour per cow from the market to slaughter and then prepared as meat was N1,000 but increased to N2,000 now.

He said that revenue paid to the state government per slaughtered cow which used to be N300 had also increased to N600.

Mohammed said that the current economic recession being experienced in the nation had resulted in low patronage to meat sellers hence some members stopped business.

He appealed to governments at all levels to roll out measures to cushion the effects of economic challenges being experienced in the country.

Similarly, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed, the state Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), confirmed increase in transport fares and drugs for the animals.

Mohammed said that the measures resulted in the cattle breeders increasing the prices of the animals.

According to him, “they have increased drugs at the veterinary and also the salt licks we give to our cows. So we have to increase the cost of cow to remain in business.

“We transport animals from Minna to Beji market for N1,000 per cow but now it has increased to N1,500. The salt lick for cows has increased from N1,200 to N2, 000,’’

He decried a situation where the butchers increased the prices of meat arbitrarily at the detriment of consumers and blaming it on cattle breeders. (NAN)


Join The Conversation

What do you think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.