Id-El Fitr: Ram prices drop as cost of chicken, foodstuffs soar in Abuja

AS Muslims all over the world celebrate the 2017 Id-El Fitr Islamic festival, the prices of rams, which are an essential part of the festivities have dropped in Abuja as a result of economic hardship in the country.

But the prices of chicken and other foodstuffs have gone up 48 hours to the celebration.

A ram seller, Mohammed Sanusi, at the Kugbo Ram Market, Abuja, told Sunday Tribune, that even though they have recorded higher sales compared to this period last year, the sellers could not increase the prices of rams because people do not have money in the country.

He said: “People are coming to buy rams and goats; some others come and kill cow and share it to people. The market is rushing. There is no problem in terms of patronage. We have patronage more than last year.

“Last year, our rams remained very many after the Sallah. This time I bought like 100 pieces but the remaining ones are not up to 10. Some people are even bringing the rams from other markets to here.

“The prices have come down because people do not have money. The ones we used to sell N60,000, N70,000, we are selling them between N45,000 and N50,000 because this is Id-El Kabir, the small Sallah.

“People don’t buy rams like Eid-el-Kabir. If it is that one, one person, will come to buy like 20 to 50 and some 100 to distribute to people. This one, people buy like 5 and maximum 10,” he said.