Miyetti Allah seeks loans to reduce rising beef prices

The Miyetti-Allah Fulaku Yeso Yeso Development Association (MAFYDA) has called on the Federal Government to provide loan facilities to butchers across the country to help reduce the rising cost of beef.

The association said access to financing would enable butchers to purchase cattle directly from herders at livestock markets, eliminating middlemen who significantly drive up prices.

The MAFYDA National Security Adviser, Comrade Pariya, identified intermediaries between Fulani herders and butchers as a key factor behind the surge in beef prices.

He explained that most butchers lack the financial capacity to buy cows outright and are often forced to purchase on credit from dealers, who resell at inflated rates.

According to him, while a large cow sells for between N500,000 and N750,000 at livestock markets, middlemen typically resell the same animals for between N1.3 million and N1.5 million, depending on location.

Pariya noted that providing affordable loans would empower butchers to bypass these intermediaries, leading to lower prices for beef, skin and offal nationwide.

He also acknowledged that insecurity and rising transportation costs contribute to the price increase, though he suggested that the impact of insecurity is sometimes overstated.

In a related comment, MAFYDA Secretary in Taraba State, Ibrahim Mohammed, attributed the high cost of beef to additional factors, including the rising cost of veterinary drugs, vaccines, consultation fees and limited grazing land.

Recent market trends show that the price of beef has risen sharply, with a kilogramme now selling between N8,000 and N9,000, compared to N5,500 to N6,500 earlier in the year.

The association maintained that targeted government support could help stabilise prices and ease the burden on consumers.