The rising cost of meat in Lagos is putting pressure on butchers, with a kilogramme now selling for between N9,000 and N10,000, up from N7,000 to N7,500 about four months ago.
The Lagos State Butchers Association attributed the increase to foreign exchange fluctuations, high transportation costs and losses incurred while moving cattle to markets.
Alhaji Wasiu Akande, the association’s Deputy State Chairman, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
Akande said the rising cost of purchasing cattle and transporting them to Lagos had made the meat trade increasingly expensive.
“Meat is more expensive now. A kilogramme of meat is between N9,000 and N10,000, whereas about four months ago, it was sold for between N7,000 and N7,500,” he said.
He explained that foreign exchange fluctuations affected cattle prices because some livestock dealers sourced their animals from neighbouring countries.
According to him, the assumption that most cattle consumed in Nigeria are bred in northern Nigeria does not reflect the extent of the country’s dependence on livestock from neighbouring countries.
“People always assume that the cows come from the North. The ones we breed in the North are not even up to 10 per cent of what we consume in Nigeria,” he said.
Akande listed Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Niger among the countries supplying cattle to the Nigerian market.
He said foreign exchange movements influenced the prices charged by livestock dealers when selling cattle to Nigerian buyers.
“When the dealers want to sell the cows to us, they bring out their calculators to convert their money to naira,” he said.
Beyond the cost of purchasing cattle, Akande identified transportation as another major factor contributing to rising meat prices.
He said transporting cattle over long distances exposed the animals to stress and increased the risk of death, with the resulting losses adding to the cost of the surviving animals.
“Some cattle die during transportation from the North to Lagos, with the losses ultimately reflected in the prices of the other cows that survived,” he said.
Akande also attributed rising transportation costs to increased diesel prices, noting that most trailers used to move cattle ran on diesel.
He said the association had met with the minister responsible for livestock matters about a month earlier to discuss challenges associated with cattle transportation.
To address the problem, Akande appealed to the Federal Government to accelerate railway rehabilitation and consider dedicated cargo rail services for transporting cattle.
“We want to appeal for our own cargo rail to be able to bring in cows. It will make the cows healthier, reduce their stress, and give them good market value,” he said.
He recalled that cargo trains were used to transport cattle in the 1960s and 1970s, describing the system as faster and less stressful for the animals.
According to him, the collapse of the rail system from the 1980s increased reliance on trailers for livestock transportation.
Akande said road transportation also exposed livestock dealers to interstate charges in states along the routes to Lagos, including Niger, Oyo and Ogun.
He said these additional expenses contributed to the final cost of cattle and, consequently, the price of meat.
“Nobody can stop a cargo rail, so it is still the best option,” he said.
The association’s deputy chairman said the seasonal reduction in cattle prices during the rainy season, particularly around June and July, was usually temporary and did not provide lasting relief.
He added that cattle breeds differed in size and market value, with butchers often preferring larger animals to attract customers.
He noted that the breed commonly called Kokoloji (polled cattle) was among the more expensive options, with the largest animals selling for as much as N3 million.
He said other cattle in the breed sold for between N1.4 million and N1.5 million, while the cheapest could cost about N1 million.
Akande added that the lowest prices for other breeds ranged from N700,000 to N800,000.
He explained that many butchers preferred larger and more expensive cattle because the size and quality of the meat helped them attract buyers and maintain their standing in the market.
Akande urged the Federal Government to expedite railway rehabilitation and consider dedicated livestock transportation to reduce transportation costs, minimise animal losses and ease pressure on meat prices.
He said improved transportation would reduce stress on cattle and improve their condition upon arrival at destination markets.
NAN