Kano chicken sellers decry poor Sallah sale

Broiler chicken sellers at Tarauni Market in Kano have expressed concern over low patronage as Muslims prepare for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

The traders, who spoke on Tuesday, said sales have remained sluggish despite the festive period, which typically records a surge in demand. Many attributed the downturn to declining purchasing power among customers.

At the market, chicken is sold in kilograms and preserved in freezers. The price has risen slightly, with one kilogram now selling for N4,700, up from N4,500.

One of the traders, Bilyaminu Ado-Saleh, said sales this year fall far below previous Eid periods. He noted that although he stocked about 150 chickens for the day, he had only sold 40 by midday.

“In previous years, especially on the eve of Sallah, I would have sold between 100 and 150 chickens out of 200 stocked by this time,” he said.

Another seller, Nasiru Sani, also described the situation as discouraging, saying the market had remained unusually quiet.

“I stocked 300 chickens today but have only sold 45 so far. In the past, 500 chickens would have been sold out by now,” he said, blaming the situation on reduced consumer spending.

Observations at the market showed large quantities of unsold chickens displayed on stalls, highlighting the weak demand despite the approaching festival.