November 15, 2010
Uganda's beef prices to shoot up
The price of meat is expected to shoot up following the low supply of cattle to Uganda's Kampala abattoir, the abattoir's spokesperson, Mohammed Lwanga, has said.
The price of meat currently varies in most parts of the city, with some spots selling a kilo of meat at SH6,500 (US$2.84), up from SH5,000 (US$2.18).
Lwanga said that as the demand for meat sets to rise during the festive season of Eid Aduha and Christmas, the law of demand and supply was likely to set in.
"Cattle slaughtered at the abattoir per day have reduced from 805 to 299," Lwanga said. Lwanga also noted that the number of lorries bringing cattle had drastically reduced from the original 35 lorries daily, to a miserable 13.
He noted that the situation had forced customers to switch to other options, shunning the purchase of beef. "The high prices and low purchase have pushed customers to opt for half a kilo of meat instead of two kilos," Lwanga said.
The spokesperson explained that Uganda currently has a population of seven million cattle, with the beef production standing at 102,000 tonnes.
Despite this, the per capita consumption of meat still stands at only six kilos.
However, dealers say the challenges they face in delivering cattle from districts like Bushenyi, Nakaseke, Kabula, Rukungiri to the city have been a big hindrance to their business, hence the increase in the price of the beef.
The dealers highlighted bad roads, high fuel prices and traffic jams among several bottlenecks that lead to the delay in the delivery of cows to the city.
"Cattle owners do not sell their animals during the dry season because those are undervalued due to underweight," said Twaha, one of the cattle dealers.
Lwanga explained that the deliveries were delayed by two or even more days because of the slippery and potholed roads.
Lwanga added that the situation has forced cattle owners who are willing to sell to push prices from SH800,000 (US$349.04) to SH900,000 (US$392.67) per head.
