Meat prices go up in Dar amid falling cattle supply

Rising demand for meat compounded by low supply has pushed meat prices up in Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam, with analysts projecting that a kilogramme of beef will cross the Tsh10,000 ($4) mark during the festive season.

Wholesale prices of meat have risen by an average of 21 per cent during the past month.

“Currently, a kilogramme of beef at the Vingunguti Abattoir fetches between Tsh6,300 (2.74) and Tsh6,500 ($2.83) as wholesale price. Two months ago, the same fetched between Tsh5,000 ($2) and Tsh5,500. What you see in retail outlets is a reflection of what is happening here,” the chairman for a co-operative union for traders in livestock and livestock products at Vingunguti, Mr Joel Meshaki, told The Citizen in an interview.

A kilogramme of beef currently fetches between Tsh6,500 and Tsh8,500 ($3.70).

According to Mr Meshaki, the rise is largely due to a slowdown in cattle supply at the market. Currently, an average of 400 and 450 cattle are slaughtered at Vingunguti per day, a drop from an average of 500 and 650.

The market master at the Pugu Livestock Market, Mr Kerambo Samwel told The Citizen that the rise has been associated with a drop in cattle supply at the market. Cattle supplies began dwindling in September and October, but it rose slightly towards the end of November.