Meat lovers in Kisii face tough times as butchers hike prices
Kisii County Butcheries Association has increased prices of meat to consumers, citing low supply of cows, goats and high transport cost to abattoirs and butcheries. Mwembe Branch Association chairman, Richard Nyakundi said the high population in the county has forced farmers to rear few animals and spare the rest of their land for maize, cash and horticultural crops.
He said there are few cows and goats in the area leading a jump in the cost of cows and goats, adding they are now forced to get the animals from as far as Transmara East and West sub-counties in Narok county.
Nyakundi added that the dry spell and the cost of dairy feeds and lack of grazing land have also forced the farmers to increase the prices of the animals from between Sh40,000 to Sh60,000, saying this has compelled butchery operators to increase the prices of goat meat and beef.
“We are selling a kilo of beef and goat meat at Sh500 and Sh600 respectively from Sh400 and Sh500 effective this month” he told Business Hub yesterday, adding the price of liver is now Sh700 up from Sh600 a kilo.
Nyakundi said the cost of driving and transporting the animals has also increased, adding that drivers of cows are charging Sh500 per cow up from Sh300 last month.
He said butchery operators were also forced to buy cows in groups and hire a vehicle to transport them to slaughter houses at exorbitant prices, which, he noted, reduced their profit margins.
“ I urge our customers to bear with us. The increment of the prices was inevitable. The conditions are beyond our control” Nyakundi, who operates butchery at Mwembe estate said.
