Covid-19 in Guinea: the headache of cattle and sheep sellers

Since the start of the health crisis, meat consumption has increased. On the other hand, the price paid to breeders by sellers and large retailers is decreasing. Consequence: the transport of animals from the place of purchase to Conakry is a difficult equation to solve for these ruminant sellers.

In any difficult situation, there is necessarily a strategy to adopt. The sellers of beef and sheep have refused to fold their arms during this period of health crisis, while seeking to better adapt to the virus which has caused them great difficulties. A very hard blow.

The beef market is experiencing marked growth

The coronavirus is affecting the beef market, from farm to counter. Local animal sales in all its aspects have experienced marked growth since the start of the pandemic. What plans are in place to sell livestock for sale, while road problems exist?

“There are problems along the way. Those who go to the weekly markets to buy cattle and sheep, sometimes returning, are blocked at the roadblocks installed to enforce the curfew. To overcome this constraint, we organized to do our shopping very early to be able to return home, to avoid restricted hours. says Alpha Oumar Baldé, sheep seller at the Dixinn animal park.

Transportation is the cause of the price increase

The coronavirus has certainly had an influence on sellers' businesses, and this has caused a misunderstanding, a difficult relationship between buyers and sellers. The high cost of cattle and sheep could be linked to transport costs.

“Drivers have increased the price of transportation. If we used to pay 10,000 FG for a head, they now force us to pay 20,000 FG. So, this has made sheep expensive, compared to before the pandemic arrived,”indexes Baldé.

Flow too slow

Certainly, ruminants are available in animal parks, but the rapid flow of these lasts a long time. However, customers still complain about the high cost of living.

“Of course our ruminants lag a lot here. Since customers come to us and tell us that making money right now is very difficult. There are some who even ask us to reduce the price to allow them to make the purchase. says this sheep seller at the Dixinn animal park.

Losses are often recorded

Following the delay in traveling from the weekly markets to the animal parks, ruminants sometimes die at their destination. Faced with this, the losses are enormous. “When there is a delay along the way, if there are many sheep in the vehicle, there are others who die, sometimes, in a disembarkation, we can find 6 to 7 dead, it is a huge loss,” regrets Alpha Oumar Baldé. 

Breeders, sellers and buyers experience the same problem

The problems caused by covid-19 and the measures to adapt have a price that has a snowball effect all the way to the counters of breeders, sellers and buyers of livestock. The price which has increased for certain cuts of meat makes the situation appalling.

 

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