January 4, 2011

Rwanda meat dealers reach record high profits during festive season

Meat consumption in Rwanda's Kigali City soared during this festive season, with the average number of cows slaughtered at Nyabugogo Abattoir increasing fourfold.

According to Jean Baptiste Nyatanyi, from Nyabugogo Abattoir, usually, between 60 and 70 cows are slaughtered each day.

"We slaughtered more than 290 cows and hundreds of goats on Friday (Dec 31) alone," Nyatanyi said.

Many people who normally do not eat meat, because of the high prices, wait until special days like New Year's Day, while most families buy meat in larger quantity than usual as they expect to host friends and family.

At most butcher shops around Kigali, the price of beef had been increased from the usual RWF1,750-1,900 (US$2.93-$3.18) per kilogramme.

Butchers attributed the increase price to hikes in the price of cows, whose owners take advantage of the festive season.

At SATRA Abattoir in Kicukiro, the number of cows slaughtered on the New Year's Day increased from the usual 50 to 150.

It is alleged that the unauthorised dealers, because of evading taxes, sell their meat at prices below that of authorised butchers.