Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Butchers in Juba are decrying the low consumption of meat in the aftermath of the festive season, despite the stability in the prices. The City Review discovered yesterday, during its weekly spot-check on market prices, that the number of people buying meat has dropped immediately following the New Year’s celebration.
According to butchers, prices of meat in Juba remained stable for the last three to four months. Even this favourable circumstance, however, has not persuaded buyers to visit their stores.
David Wani, the manager of Havana Butchery at Konyo-Konyo market, said last year’s meat prices never fluctuated like in the past years. “We never increased them. The price remains per kilogram. We have not raised nor reduced them.”
Wani said a kilogram of steak costs SSP 4,500, while a kilogram of meat with bones is sold at SSP 3,400. The price has been constant for the last five months.
“We still sell a kilogram of cow’s liver at SSP 4,000, whereas one kilogram of goat’s liver costs SSP 4,500,” he added.
The manager said goat’s meat is sold at SSP4,500 per kilogram, while a leg of a goat without ribs costs SSP5,000. Mutton is sold at the same rate as goat meat. He said their main challenge remains the lack of customers, whose numbers have so far dropped from approximately 85 per cent to 50 per cent.
“I used to slaughter a good number of goats and sheep, but now we bring less than that number. Our calculation tells us that about 35 per cent of what we used to get is missing since the end of last year,” Wani narrated.
Laku Kuluang, who runs one of the butcheries in the custom market, also confirmed that the number of people who consume meat has dropped. He said the people who currently buy meat are mostly hotel owners and restaurants in Juba.
He sometimes said it forces them to reduce the prices at the end of the day if one does not have a refrigerator. Kuluang said: “The prices are the same, but the only difference is that some of us who do not have good meat storage [facilities] sometimes reduce prices in the evening.”
He said people had just ended a celebration with friends and family, and maybe they wanted to have a balanced diet by reducing the consumption of meat.
The City Review conducted a similar search at Munuki and Gudele Markets where it established that a kilogram of steak is being sold at SSP 4,500 and those with bones are sold at SSP 3,400, respectively.
A kilogram of a cow’s liver costs SSP 4,500, whereas a kilogram of a goat’s liver costs is at SSP4,500. Goat’s meat and mutton are also sold at SSP4,500 per kilogram, while a leg of goat meat without ribs costs SSP5,000.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
