Prices of Sheep, Goats in RAK Hit a High as Livestock Import From Somalia is Low

Livestock traders in Ras Al Khaimah have attributed the steep rise in the prices of sheep and goats in the emirate to the shortage of Somali livestock in the market due to the instabilities in that country.

Increased costs of transportation and fodder from other countries are another factor.

Prices of sheep and goats have gone up by almost 100 per cent, especially with the higher demand since the holy month of Ramadan.

A 10kg goat is sold at Dh400, almost double the price last year, and a sheep of the same weight, which cost Dh400 last year, is now being sold for Dh800.

Mohammed Ali, a Pakistani livestock trader in Ras Al Khaimah, said in the past few years, most of the goats and sheep in the market were being imported from Somalia. The imports have declined because of the instabilities in the African country. Animals imported from other countries are a bit more expensive.

Another livestock trader, Hassan Majid, said, “We are now importing most of the livestock from Syria and Iran, incurring higher costs on transportation as the fuel prices have increased. We had to increase the prices of the livestock to cover the procurement costs.”