Less than two weeks to the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, ram dealers in Hadejia, Jigawa are recording low patronage, a check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has shown.

A NAN check at Hadejia and Kumsa cattle market on Friday, showed that prices had fallen by about 20 per cent, compared to the same period last year.

The low patronage had also pushed prices down, few days to the Sallah festivities.

Eid-el-Kabir celebration is marked on the 10th day of Zul-Hajj; the 12th months of the Islamic calendar during which Muslims faithful make animal sacrifices.

NAN checks indicated that an average ram was sold for N20, 000, as against its previous price of N25, 000, while sheep attract as low as N 10,000 as against N15, 000 it sold last season.

Cattle prices were also affected, as a well-bred bull was sold at N140, 000 as against its old price of N170, 000.

Dealers at the market attributed the situation to low purchasing power of buyers.

Alhaji Ari Usman, a ram dealer, said that the market condition was not encouraging due to the low sales recorded in the last few days.

“We are not making good sales, as very few people are buying the animals at the market,” he said, adding that sales were low this year.

However, another trader, Baba Jibril, expressed the hope that the market condition would improve in the coming days.

Malam Buba Audu, a resident, described the drop in prices as a ‘welcome development,’ noting that, the situation would enable most families to slaughter rams and celebrate the season in a happy mood.

NAN also reports that Kumsa market is one of the major animal trading centre in the state; where goats, cattle, sheep, camel and donkeys from Yobe and Niger Republic are transported to other parts of the country. (NAN)

•Photo shows Sallah Rams