Ram traders in Osogbo, Osun Stated on Thursday, lamented low patronage, attributing it to the rising cost and economic hardship in the country.

Some ram sellers who spoke with journalists said there was a decline in patronage compared to last year due to an increase in the price of rams in the market.

A trader at the Powerline market, Osogbo, Ismail Musa, lamented that the patronage was not encouraging compared to last year, noting that the cost of sourcing the rams from the North affected the price.

Mr Musa said that there was low patronage due to the country’s economic situation.

“People do not have much money. I have only sold five rams and four goats in the last three days. Last year’s sales were impressive, but this year’s sales have been slow. We are selling the big-sized ram for between ₦400,000 and ₦420,000 and the small-sized ram between ₦120,000 and ₦130,000. The rams that we sold for N200,000 last year now sell for N450,000.’’

He identified the cost of transportation from the North as the major factor contributing to the rising cost, calling for the reduction in the price of petrol.

Another ram seller, Abioye Saheed, said the medium-sized ram was being sold between N350,000 and N500,000, against N200,000 last year.

“Last year, the transportation cost was between N700,000 and N800,000 per trailer, but this year we are paying over N2 million from the northern part of the country,” he stated.

A cattle seller in front of Fakunle Comprehensive High School, Osogbo, Laro Suleiman, said that a small-sized cow sold for N250,000 last year is now N450,000.

Mr Suleiman said the cows were transported from Jebba, Kwara, at the rate of N5,000 each, as opposed to N2,500 last year.

“The increase in everything is because of the hike in the price of fuel,” he added.

A buyer, Odunade Kazeem, said that he bought a small-sized goat for N50,000.

“This size of goat was sold for N35,000 last year,” he said.