As the price of beef continues to rise, many residents of Abuja, the capital city, have resorted to buying dry fish as an alternative source of protein.
Our correspondent who went round the city centre, Gwarimpa, Jabi and Kubwa reports that beef price has now gone up to N2,500 per kilogramme as against N1,000 and N2,000 few months back.
Also, in Abuja suburb markets like Karmo and Deidei, a kilogramme of beef is sold between N2,000 and 2,200.
The hike has turned into a fortune for dry fish sellers as residents prefer to buy it as an alternative.
In Kubwa, Madam Esther said, “The price of beef keeps increasing each time you go to the market. Few months ago, a kilogramme of beef was just N1,200, then suddenly it rose to N1,500, then N2,000 and now it’s N2,500, hence I have resorted to dry fish because it gives me more test and value for my money.”
Another resident at the Wuse market said, “Before this increase, I split a kilogramme of beef into three to feed my family for three days, but it’s no longer possible now; that is why I have opted for dry fish, but we occasionally buy the meat.”
The Chairman of the FCT Butchers Association, Aminu Lawan Kofan-Ruwa, attributed the sharp rise in the cost of beef to the scarcity of cows.
Kofan-Ruwa explained that, “Buying cows from herders is cheaper than the fattened cows. What we usually buy now are fattened ones in towns. The owners spend a lot of money to feed them, so they are selling to us exorbitantly.”
He also attributed the meat scarcity to rustling and banditry in many parts of the North.
He, however, said, “We have started getting Fulani cow breeds in the market due to the rainy season, and I want to assure that the price of beef will soon crash.”
Faruk Sulaiman who supplies dry fish from Hadeija, Jigawa State, noted that his sales had doubled due to more patronage, saying, “Most of the customers complain that the price of meat is very high,” adding that a carton of dry fish goes for between N26,000 and N35,000.
Suleiman said his customers were mostly housewives, market women and restaurant managers.
