Sallah: ‘Prices of rams affordable in Kebbi’

As Eid El -sallah draws nearer, In kebbi state prices of rams and other food items are still reasonable and affordable in the open markets compared to previous years when barely a week to the period prices were hiked by the middle men.
A recent survey conducted by Blueprint in Ambursa, Gwadangwaji and Kalgo ram markets showed that despite the financial disposition of prospective buyers who want to make the sacrifice, the prices were relatively lower than last year, defending on the sizes.
A ram that weigh 25 to 30 kilogramme was sold between N27,000 to N30,000 thousand while a female of same size was sold between N17,000 to N20,000 thousand.
Similarly, food items like rice, beans, spaghetti, macaroni and edibles like palm oil, groudnut oil, spices and other related items were still sold at their normal prices.
A cross section of people who spoke to our correspondent attributed the sanity in prices despite the closeness of the festivities to divine intervention, although some predicted a nortion that if salaries were released by the state government within the week definitely prices of every commodity not only the sacrificial animals would skyrockets.
A ram seller Alhaji Audu Dankarami Ambursa said “you see it is not our wish to increase prices of this animals but usually the owners determined how much we are sold for them because ours is just to look for a buyer and when we disposed them we are paid our commission upfront” He confirmed that some ram owners would not take them to the markets until when salaries are paid so that they make good bargains, adding that some of his business partners who are well to do used to travel to neigbouring countries like Niger, Burkina Fasso and Mali Republics to make a bulk purchases.
A civil servant Hajiya Talatu Shehu, said she has been saving money for the last six months to enable her buy ram on time before the prices escalate, “I know salary would be paid between today Wednesday, and Friday, by then people will rush to the market and reason why shylock’s middlemen increases the prices.”