Meat prices static during festive season due to subdued demand

FLORENCE MUGARULA

MEAT prices remain static in Dar es Salaam in this year’s festive season as supply declined due to weaker market demand.

A secretary of an association of meat suppliers at Vingunguti abattoir, Mr Joel Meshack told the `Daily News’ yesterday that meat business had gone down in this year festive season due to low demand from regular meat sellers as a result of money scarcity. “We are passing through economic difficulties.

We are spending a lot of money to transport cattle from upcountry to Dar es Salaam but meat price has gone down during this season because people have no money,” he said.

According to Mr Meshack, in the previous months, wholesale price for one kilogramme of meat was 6500/- but this time around, they have been forced to sell at 5500/- per kilogramme. “This means, regular sellers were selling one kilogramme of meat at between 7000/- and 8000/- in various parts of Dar es Salaam,” said Mr Meshack.

He added that if wholesale price would have been sold at 6500/- per kilogramme, consumers in various parts of the city would have bought one kilogramme of meat at between 9000 and 10,000/-, which they thought would be impossible in consideration of the current economic situation.

According to Mr Meshack, the number of slaughtered has dropped in this year’s Christmas from more than 1000 to only 800 cows.

“This time around, we have slaughtered only 800 cows and 700 goats, this is a big drop compared to the previous years,” he said. Mr Meshack said the meat business is not doing well at the moment. However, he said traders hope to see the situation improving starting January next year.

“We believe the situation will change for the better starting next year, but this time around we are performing very poorly,” he said