By Adama Makasuba
Banjul Butchers Association has expressed their concern over the business as they lamented about the likelihood of their business being suppress by chicken business.
Meat is a widely consumed food among Gambians especially during Ramadan but because of its high cost many people choose to buying chickens at cheaper amount of dalasi.
Speaking to Alfusainey Minteh, president the Association in an exclusive interview Monday said “Meat business is not lucrative now here because meat price is costly which makes chicken business to be dominating our business.”
He added: “ at first… when people have program, they do come here and buy from us but now they are all going to those selling chickens.”
Mr. Minteh also agreed and correlated the issue to high cost of meat in the market compare to chickens, adding “a price of a kilo of meat is equivalent to 2 kilo of chickens.”
He said currently a kilo of mutton (sheep meat) and chevon (goat meat) is D250 while beef and bone is at D220 and beefsteak stands at D250.
However, sounding the reactions of people about the prices of commodities, Nyima Khan, a customer, who comes daily at the market, said “there, is no price control which is making living very hard for us.”
She said “It very hard on us the ladies everything in the market have been increase. At first chicken was at 75 dalasi but now it has been increased to 80 dalasi and some single fish costs 100 dalasi.”
Another customer, Sainabou Njie, urged the government “to help them and stable the prices of commodities in the market” adding “we have no money…people are really poor and the prices of goods keep rising.”