With four days to the Eid el-Kabir celebration, the price of rams has soared by more than 85 per cent in the area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This is even as ram sellers are complaining of low patronage, which the customers are attributing to high cost of the animals and the economy situation in the country.
Findings showed that the prices had gone up, far beyond last year, with many muslim faithful saying they are finding it difficult to afford the animal for sacrifice.
At the cattle market located at Unguwar Sabon Tasha in Abaji Area Council, where rams are sold, a small ram which was sold at between N120 and N150,000 last year is now sold between N200,000 to N250,000 this year.
A middle size ram which sold for N200,000 and N230,000 last year now sells between N270,000 and N300,000, while the big sized ram went between N300,000 and N350,000 now goes for N450,000 and N520,000, while the bigger ones which were sold last year for between N560,000 and 620,000 are now sold at N800,000 to N1.2 million.
At Gwagwalada cattle market located along Gwako-Giri-Abuja-Lokoja highway, findings also showed that prices of rams have witnessed steep increase with a medium sizes ram, which went for N170,000 to N200,000 last year, is now sold at N250,000 and N300,000, while the big sized ones that were sold at N350,000 and N400,000 are now sold at N600,000 and N75,000.
More findings in Kuje cattle market, located at Tipper garage junction, along the Airport Road, showed that the price of rams this year has become exorbitant as the medium sized ones that went for N130,000 and N160,000 last year are now sold at between N200,000 and N260,000 while the bigger sized ones that were sold at N250,000 and N280,000 now cost N320,000 and N450,000.
Ram sellers have expressed worries over low patronage by customers in many ram markets sampled in the nation’s capital.
Malam Garba Shehu, a ram seller in Zuba, said he brought 120 rams a week ago, but has been able to sell only 11, adding that many customers turned back on hearing the prices.
