By Sulayman Waan
Scores of livestock dealers’ have expressed fears that scarcity of rams could hit the country head of Tobaski, as they said the borders between Gambia and Senegal remained closed.
The livestock dealers raised the concern in an exclusive interview with The Voice Newspaper. Speaking to The Voice Yero Sowe, a dealer in rams said the number of small ruminant – rams and goats in the market is very low compare to the previous years.
He said: “This time of last year (2019) the market was full of small ruminants, especially rams. Even outside the market was occupied with rams but presently rams are so limited in the market. If the tendency continues like this there will be a shortage of rams in the market. There should be possibility of the trend changing but when it fails to change, there will be a shortage.”
“The least price for a ram currently at the market is six-thousand-dalasi (D6, 000), and some rams cost D10, 000 to D20, 000 depending on the size of the rams,” he added.
Omar Jah, also a dealer in rams, said rams are not many in the market as it used to be in previous years.
He is hopeful that more rams will come in the week, but he certain of the number of rams, saying by this time last they have more rams than now
According to him, the low number of rams in the market is because of boarder closure between the Gambia and Senegal as well as Senegal and its neighbouring countries namely Mali and Mauritania.
“The Gambia does not have much rams and the Senegalese rams alone cannot be sufficient for Gambians and Senegalese population. Therefore, mechanisms should be put in place for the sub-regional boarders to reopen to ensure importation of rams,” he added.
Another dealer, Dam Sowe said: “This time of last year the rams were more than this. If more rams are not imported the price of ram will be higher.”
Samba Camara, 40, said: “previously, if Tobaski approaches all the market premises used to be filled with ruminants but this year the number is very small in the market. Most of the rams in the market used to come from Mali, Mauritania and Senegal. Many do not like the Gambian breed due to its smallness.”
For Omar Jallow, said they have called on the sub- regional governments to re-open the boarders to ensure cross borders movement of rams before the festive celebration