The prices of some commodities like beef, goat meat, chicken, and some vegetables have increased due to the high demand occasioned by the festive season.

The New Times visited the Nyabugogo Saban Abattoir and other marketplaces.

According to Christophe Cyubahiro Deputy Director of the Abattoir, they usually slaughter between 80 and 120 cows, 150 goats per day.

"Due to high demand of meat in the festive seasons we are planning to slaughter 100 more cows and goats to be distributed to butcheries, hotels, bars and restaurants across the city,” he said.

Clients who come to buy chickens at Nyabugogo Mini market . / Dan Nsengiyumva

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he added that for the past two years there has been a reduction of the usual demand during the festive season.

"Usually we could slaughter four or three times the number of cows or goats during the festive seasons, but economically people have been hit which kind of reduced the demand” he added.

Ezekiel Nzamutuma who owns a butchery in Nyarugenge District and had come to buy meat at the abattoir said that he found a kilogramme of beef at Rwf2,800 yet on other days it is at Rwf2,500.

Customers buy meat ahead festive seasons on December 24

"We expected the prices to rise because it is the festive season and more people are buying meat, and because of that I will also raise the price in my butchery too” he added.

According to a mini-market survey carried out by The New Times on December 24, by this newspaper, on ordinary days a kilo of beef is at Rwf4,000 but due to the festive season, it has risen to Rwf4,200 and Rwf4,500 in some places.

Goat meat has risen to Rwf4800 per kilogramme from 4500 while chicken is now Rwf3000 per kilogramme, up from Rwf2,500.

Other commodities that saw a rise are tomatoes where a kilo is Rwf700 compared to Rwf400 in ordinary days, onions are now at Rwf450 a kilo from Rwf300 in ordinary days and carrots rose from Rwf500 a kilogramme to Rwf600.

Workers on duties at Nyabugogo Saban Abattoir in Kigali on December 24.Dan Nsengiyumva

Diane Mukeshimana, who sells vegetables in Nyabugogo market said that by midday she had sold all her vegetables, which prompted her to get more and sell them at a higher price.

"We expect the prices to go higher tomorrow on Christmas day because we will also be buying them at a higher price than they are today,” she added.

Youth volunteers inspect if people who come to market were vaccinated