Miyetti Allah Seeks Federal Govt Loans For Butchers To Reduce Beef Price

The Miyetti-Allah Fulaku Yeso Yeso Development Association (MAFYDA) has urged the federal government to provide loan facilities to butchers nationwide to enable them to buy cows directly from farmers at livestock markets, rather than through middlemen.

The association said direct access to farmers would greatly reduce the high cost of beef, skin and offal across the country.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, MAFYDA National Security Adviser, Comrade Pariya, identified middlemen between Fulani herders and butchers as major drivers of the rising prices.

He said most butchers could not afford to buy cattle directly from farmers due to lack of funds and were compelled to buy on credit from dealers at inflated prices.

“The dealers take advantage of the butchers’ financial challenges to exploit them,” Pariya said.

“Most butchers usually pay them after selling the meat.

“But if the government supports the butchers with loans, they can go to the cattle markets and buy the number of cows they need. In the long run, prices will crash across the country,” he said.