Beef sales are expected to rise on New Year in Kigali and upcountry, dealers said.

Talking to The New Times over the weekend, beef sellers at the city’s largest slaughterhouse said the biggest factor for the rise in sales is because more people in Rwanda celebrate New Year.

Jean Baptiste Nyatanyi, the human resource and information officer of Saban abattoir, the Nyabugogo-based establishment that provides cows, goats and sheep slaughtering services, explained that they set a clear work plan for the holidays.

"New Year’s Day is going to bring more customers than Christmas because the day is celebrated by more people, including Muslims, and other Christians who do not celebrate Christmas,” he said.

Nyatanyi said their staff traversed markets across the country on Friday to buy livestock to be able to meet demand.

"We always get prepared two days ahead of the D-day,” said Nyatanyi.

"Like we did for Christmas, everything will be in order for the New Year,” he assured.

He added that until Sunday evening they were involved in supply of meat to their outlets across the country.

The house normally slaughters about 100 cows a day, but the number goes up in festive period, according to Nyatanyi.

"On the Christmas and Boxing Day, the house slaughtered 180, 300, 230, and 70 cows, respectively,” he revealed.

Also, nearly 600 goats and sheep were slaughtered on Christmas Eve, and Christmas, up from about 300 on normal days.

"Now, on New Year’s day, we expect to exceed those numbers,” said Nyatanyi.

He disclosed that due to the festive period the company that normally has 80 employees, has increased workers by 15%.

"Due to the closure of Kicukiro abattoir, we are the only ones doing slaughtering services in the city, so many, customers are coming here,” he explained.

On November 23, 2017 the City of Kigali shut down SATRA abattoir, commonly known as "Kwa Didi” in Kicukiro District over standards, leaving Saban the only abattoir in the city.

Nyatanyi said the majority of buyers come one day before a major event because they want to avoid crowding.

During these days people eat more goat meat than beef, he said.

Currently, beef costs Rwf2,000 a kilo, while a kilo of goat meat goes for Rwf3,500.

"As a customer here, I think everything is normal; I am buying meat at a regular price, nothing has changed,” said one buyer.

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