Demand for beef, goat’s meat and mutton has increased up to four times during the festive season, The New Times can report.

The veterinary doctor at the Nyabugogo Saban Abattoir; Léonard Shyirambere told The New Times in an interview that the business is now open 24 hours to satisfy the high demand for meat.

In two days alone, 2,500 animals have been slaughtered.

"The demand for meat depends on the season. For instance, during ordinary days, we slaughter over 100 cows a day but during the end of year holidays, the number of cows we slaughter increases four times,” he said.

Shyirambere said that the abattoir supplies meat to butcheries, hotels, bars and restaurants across the city.

He said that goat meat and mutton demand has also increased.

"We used to slaughter 150 goats per day but this number has also increased four times,” he said.

This means 600 goats were slaughtered at Nyabugogo abattoir per day and 1,200 within two days.

The abattoir also ordinarily slaughters 40 sheep per day but during the holiday season, the number has tripled. He explained that although mutton attracts the least customers, the number also increases to 120 a day.

He said that high demand like this usually triggers short supply of cows and goats since most of farmers are no longer rearing for meat.

Shyirambere, said that the abattoirs in Rwanda are still lacking value addition technologies.

"In developed countries, a modern abattoir must have integrated services including slaughtering, processing and packaging. The services also include adding value to skins,” he said.

Demand and price forces

In ordinary says, a kilogram of meat at the abattoir stands at Rwf2,400 but it increases to Rwf3,000 during peak season due to high demand.

A mini survey carried out by this newspaper in some Kigali neighborhoods such as Nyarutarama and Kimironko found beef at Rwf3,000 per kilo.

According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, the total meat production in Rwanda increased from more than 152,000 tonnes in 2017 to 162,470 tonnes in 2018.

Between the past five and ten years, the animal population has tripled.

Current figures shows that Rwanda’s livestock population  include more than 2.92 million heads of goats, 664,703 sheep, 1.7 million pigs,1.29 million cows, 1.26 million rabbits.

Figures show that Rwanda’s chicken population increased by 9 percent per year from 3.5 million in 2010 to 7.6 million in 2018.

Poultry meat production increased from 13,700 tonnes in 2010 to 45,000 tonnes in 2018.

Livestock master plan projects an increase of 239 per cent of pork in the next 5 years moving from 19,000 to 67,000 metric tons of pork.