Booming business of Sheme cattle market

One of the popular markets is Sheme Cattle market in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State that is situated along Funtua-Gusau road; a location that provides easy access to the teeming merchants that troop to the market from different parts of the country and across its borders every Friday.
The market is characterised with large flock of cattle, sheep, goats, camels, fodder, veterinary drugs and many other things associated with animal husbandry and rearing.
Investigations show that, businessmen in the market source their cattle from Fulani nomads and other market in Yobe, Gombe, Chad and Niger republics.
Also, neighbouring states like Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and Kano supply the market with animals.
On the other hand, its catchment markets cut across the country, such as Ogumalo and Mile-Twelve markets, Lagos, Bodija, Ibadan, Ogere, Warri, Port Harcourt and Abuja among many others.
Malam Abdullahi Na’ule, who a cattle transporter to Ibadan, said “even though the issue of cattle rustling and general insecurity affected our business, we are managing to stay in it most especially with the Sallah season.”
He added that, a large bull in Sheme market can cost up to N300,000 while the average ones cost about N180,000 depending on how healthy and well-fed the cow is.
Malam Abdullahi said his customers in Ibadan are mostly consumers who buy through butchers and big restaurants/fast food vendors that are into meat related items like snacks.
Sarkin Shanu of the market,  Alhaji Aminu Umar Sheme, said the market being the biggest of its kind in southern part of Katsina State, records the sale of over 2000 cows on a market day.
“On every Friday, which is our market day, 40 trailers or thereabouts are loaded with cows to go to Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Enugu, while at least 30 Canters truck and other small trucks convey cows to Abuja, Kaduna and Suleja.
Daily Trust gathered that, 30 to 32 big cows make up a trailer load while the average ones numbered up to 40 per trailer.
Alhaji Aminu identified the general insecurity in the country and the rampant cattle rustling in the North as the major setbacks of their business, saying that they have to adopt their own security strategies in the market to check people with dubious character.
In the sheep/goats section of Sheme market, one may wonder of the source of the large number of rams, sheep and goats that make going round the section tedious work. Sarkin Turaku, Alhaji Bawa Danba’u said rams in particular flood the market due to Eid-el-Kabir festival and the trend will continue with goats as the Christmas period in December approaches, just as trailers and other trucks are loaded with rams, goats and sheep to Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu and Abuja among other places.
“Our people go to Chaduwa, Tawa, Maradi, Age in Niger Republic to source for special breeds of goats and sheep. Others go to Geidam in Yobe State, Dambatta in Kano State and Mai’adua, Charanchi in Katsina State to supply the market with different special breed and sizes of the animals,” said Alhaji Bawa.
He added that many people, in anticipation of price like in the Sallah season reared many rams resulting in a glut and prices dropping. Rams that were sold N120,000 last year cannot now exceed N80,000 while the average ones started from N15,000 to N40,000 a situation he attributed to the lack of enough money in circulation.
The economic activities of the market attract many people from different businesses.
Besides Sheme, Katsina State is blessed with similar markets in Kafur, Charanchi and Mai’adua local government areas.