Livestock prices rise by 30 per cent in Abu Dhabi amid supply shortage

Prices at Abu Dhabi Livestock Market have risen by as much as 40 per cent during Ramadan and ahead of Eid Al Fitr.

Livestock trader Fazal Bakht says prices for local breeds have jumped with overseas animals in short supply. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

ABU DHABI // Prices at the capital’s livestock market have risen by more than 30 per cent during Ramadan and leading up to Eid Al Fitr.

Animal sickness caused by the heat and imports from fewer countries have led to a short supply as demand rises ahead of Eid, traders at Mina Zayed market said on Monday.

Rahimullah, who runs Al Salsabil Catering at the market, said traders had started to increase their prices as rough seas and hot weather had led to the deaths of sheep being shipped from India.

Local goats weighing between 10 and 12 kilograms are being sold for about Dh800, an increase of almost Dh200, Rahimullah said. Indian sheep are now being sold at Dh550 to Dh600, up from Dh380 to Dh450 before the start of Ramadan.

Smaller goats, weighing 9kg to 10kg, are being sold at Dh650 to Dh700, up by about Dh100.

“A few weeks back we used to sell up to 50 animals in a day, but now we hardly sell 10,” said Rahimullah, who has been in the business for 20 years.

Masood Al Mansouri went to the market to buy a goat but left disappointed and empty-handed after hearing the price.

“The prices nowadays are very high as there is a shortage in the market and mostly local breeds are here,” said the Emirati. “We generally buy local goats and and prices have shot up as Indian and Somali animals are not coming in,” he said.

“I believe animal markets should be well organised to monitor such shortfalls and unnecessary price rises when people are unable to buy.”

Indian goats will start hitting the markets from September, when temperatures begin to drop. Shipments from Iran and more recently Somalia have been stopped.

Trader Fazal Bakht said this had led to an increase in prices for local breeds.

Indian sheep are very popular at the market, he explained, but shipments have not come for more than two weeks. Exporters stop sending shipments in summer because the heat makes the animals sick on their weeklong voyage.

“Upon arrival in the UAE, veterinarians deem them unfit for slaughter due to their sickness and cancel the entire shipment,” said Mr Bakht, who has run Masafi Livestock Establishment for 20 years. “So exporters avoid sending them for the few hot months of the year.”

Some traders had Saudi sheep called najdi whose prices had increased by about Dh150.

Nawab Saif, from Florida Training Establishment, said his goats were selling at Dh750 for a 10kg animal, Dh800 for 12kg and Dh850 for 17kg.

Indian buyer Yousuf Khan wanted to buy a small goat but the prices were so high that he planned to buy the meat from a hypermarket.

“If it’s hiked up by Dh50 we can pay, but it rose by up to Dh100 and more,” said Mr Khan. “If anybody lowered the rate I’ll take it, otherwise I’ll leave.”