Meat costs in the capital are ticking upward for the holidays, but not by much. At the main city abattoir, beef is going for around fourteen thousand shillings a kilo, just a thousand or two more than recent weeks. That is a lot cheaper than the wild price jumps seen last Christmas, when wholesale rates hit seventeen thousand. Butchers point to expensive live animals and a small drop in cattle deliveries as reasons for the modest bump.
Activity at the slaughterhouse is picking up with goats and other livestock coming in, yet traders call the market unusually stable. A long-time butcher and head of the female butchers group, Hawa Mukandoli, said this year is different because there are no government quarantine rules choking the supply like before. Another butcher, Semuju Edrine, agreed, noting the holiday vibe has not really spiked demand or costs.
Prices for some parts, like liver, have nudged up a bit with seasonal demand, while other offal got cheaper. The main worry now is about transport delays messing with supply right before Christmas, which could still force prices higher if it gets bad. Experts are telling people to play it safe and only buy meat from places that are officially checked and certified. Overall, shoppers should plan on paying a little extra this week, but nothing like the sticker shock from the previous festive season.
Activity at the slaughterhouse is picking up with goats and other livestock coming in, yet traders call the market unusually stable. A long-time butcher and head of the female butchers group, Hawa Mukandoli, said this year is different because there are no government quarantine rules choking the supply like before. Another butcher, Semuju Edrine, agreed, noting the holiday vibe has not really spiked demand or costs.
Prices for some parts, like liver, have nudged up a bit with seasonal demand, while other offal got cheaper. The main worry now is about transport delays messing with supply right before Christmas, which could still force prices higher if it gets bad. Experts are telling people to play it safe and only buy meat from places that are officially checked and certified. Overall, shoppers should plan on paying a little extra this week, but nothing like the sticker shock from the previous festive season.
