As Eid al-Adha approaches, preparations remain difficult for many families in Bamako. With sheep in short supply and food prices on the rise, consumers are facing increasing pressure on their household budgets.

In several neighbourhoods of the Malian capital, sheep sellers are few and far between. In Hamdallaye ACI 2 000, a trader explains that bringing the animals in from the villages has become difficult due to transport problems and insecurity.

“Last year, transporting a sheep cost between 1,750 and 2,000 CFA francs. This year, you have to pay up to 5,000 CFA francs per head,” he says. According to him, this situation is causing prices to soar, with sheep selling for between 170,000 and 400,000 CFA francs.

Consumers are feeling the pinch of this rise. “A sheep is very expensive these days,” says Brehima Keita, a resident of Djicoroni Para, who says he paid 160,000 CFA francs to buy his ram after searching high and low.

The high prices are also affecting foodstuffs such as onions and imported fish. A fishmonger at the Djicoroni Para market laments the rising costs: “A box of tilapia that used to cost 15,000 CFA francs is now selling for 21,000 CFA francs.”

Faced with this situation, many residents are hoping for an improvement in supplies in the coming days, to make the festivities more affordable for families.

Source : Bamada.net