Sallah: Ram Buyers Not Forthcoming, Sellers Lament Low Patronage
Barely 48 hours to Sallah, ram sellers in Edo State have lamented low patronage, while buyers decried the soaring prices of livestock.
A visit by our reporter to the 2+2 Ram Market in Eyaen Community, Benin City, showed that a big ram sells for between N600,000 and N800,000. Medium sized rams go for between N400,000 and N500,000, while smaller ones cost between N200,000 and N300,000.
One of the sellers at the market, Mallam Aliko Haruna, lamented that customers were not coming to buy.
Haruna, who is the chairman of the 2+2 Ram Market, said traders had been waiting all day without attracting buyers.
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“We are just sitting here waiting for buyers, but they are not forthcoming.
“Since morning, I have been here waiting for customers, but none has come. There is no market this year. People are complaining that there is no money,” he said.
He added that any ram sold above N200,000 would only be about the size of a goat.
Another seller, Amodu Abdullahi, said sales had dropped sharply compared to previous years.
“By this time during last Sallah, I had sold over 10 rams, but this time I am still struggling to sell two. Those who came left without buying,” he said.
According to him, many prospective buyers complained that the prices were beyond their reach.
“All of us sitting here are sellers and we are hoping to get buyers before the end of the day,” he added.
Also speaking, Muhammed Ismaila attributed the high prices to the cost of transporting the animals from the North to Benin City.
A buyer, Isah Muhammed, said he could not afford any of the rams at the market.
“Ram prices are too high. The one I priced was N250,000, which is beyond what I can afford,” he said.
المصدر: Daily Trust (NG)