‘We need the rail running, to sell affordable cattle’
ADaily Trust on Saturday t a recent visit to the Lagos State Abattoir, Oko Oba, Agege, the Kara section which used to be a beehive of activities was in near-desolation with few cattle on display for sale. A close observation of events revealed that there were few intending buyers in sight while some of the cattle dealers who were on standby gathered in small groups to observe and while away time.
“It has always been like this. We don’t used to have patronage like before,” Inuwa Karimu, one of the two cattle dealers, said. Inuwa said: “Although today is weekend and the little buzz for the day was even in the morning. That notwithstanding, sales has dropped in recent months because of harsh economic situation in the country.”
What Inuwa called harsh economic situation was what his friend, Bashir Giade, called high cost of living. “Everything is costly. People keep complaining that they can’t afford prices we sell our cows. They said recession and high cost of living make it difficult for them to buy cows. Most times, we have to even forfeit what should be our gain to appeal to customers,” Bashir said.
What Bashir said has contributed to cattle expensiveness is high cost of transportation from northern part of the country to Lagos.
But when asked if it will not have been cheaper for them to bring in their cows through rail, the two cattle dealers conceded, but say they have not been able to convey their cattle through rail for months. While Bashir said he has never conveyed his cattle through rail before, Inuwa said he used to do it months ago but had to stop when the rail transport system for cattle dealers went moribund.
“The last time I used the rail was in September, 2016. Although, the railway operators finally stopped the operation in December, yet before the time, the services have become irregular and many of people often complained about the irregularity of their operations,” Inuwa said.
According to him, a wellbred cow, which ordinarily would have gone for between N180, 000 and N230, 000, is now between N250, 000 and N280, 000. He said an average size cow that would normally sold for about N100, 000 and N130, 000 now goes for N150, 000 upwards. He added that the smaller ones that range between N50, 000 and N70, 000 now goes for N75, 000 and above.
“The reality is whatever you buy, you sell. You don’t sell what you didn’t buy. Butchers are complaining too. Everybody is complaining,”
Yisa Salawu, a butcher in a make-shift shop at the abattoir said. “We are wary of buying costly cows because if you buy a cow at a costly price, how much will you sell? So, one has to apply sense,” he said.
In applying senses, Yisa said many of the butchers, rather than buying individually, have resorted to buying in group. He said, by doing so, the associated risk and the burden of cost will be shared.
The spokesperson, Miyetti Allah Cattle Dealers Association of Nigeria, Abattoir Chapter, Lagos, Salisu Jikantoro said: “If butchers don’t understand if there is a relationship between the stoppage of transporting cattle through rail and the high cost of what is being sold to them, that is understandable. We are the cattle dealers and we are the ones who are into the business, we have the shoes on and we know where they pinch.”
According to Salisu, whereas the railway authority has not told them what actually led to the stoppage of services, the cattle dealers are already feeling the heat.
Daily Trust however gathered that the management of the Nigeria IncentiveBased Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), a Federal Government that spearheads the initiative, attributed the suspension to “technical issues.”
Indeed, Salisu said whereas NIRSAL has not approached the cattle dealers, by instinct, they suspect the need “to rejig their operations such that their services would be regularised and the coverage strength to other cattle markets.” And just like Inuwa and Bashir had lamented, Salisu also lamented the astronomical increase in the sales prices of cattle. He said the halt in rail operations has forced attention on trailers’ movements of cattle.
“Let’s says we chatter a trailer that would bring your cattle to Lagos may cost about N400, 000. The trailer is under regulation not to carry beyond 30 and 35 herds. If the cattle are big, the trailers won’t be able to carry beyond 30 but if they are of medium sizes or small, the trailer will convey about 35 of them. While coming through the highways, there are certain statutory taxes or expenses that must also be paid for right from the loading point to your destination in Lagos,” he said.
Salisu, however appealed to the Federal Government to help in addressing whatever challenges the rail authority might be facing in performing efficiently. “We hope government can summon the authority of the railway services, ask about their challenges and help them to get the problems fixed,” he said.