NYAGATARE -Residents of Nyagatare District have bemoaned ever-increasing meat prices, forcing many to remove meat from their menu.

Scores of local residents who spoke to The New Times in Gatunda Sector lamented that it requires one to sell over 15 kilograms of beans to buy a kilo of beef.

On average, a kilo of beef is ten times that of beans"We have totally abandoned buying meat for home consumption.  A kilo of beef is now Rwf 2,200,” said Aime Rutikanga from Gatunda Sector. He added that on average, to buy 6.5kgs of meat, one has to sell 100kgs of beans.

"This implies that if meat prices are not checked, farmers’ produce will totally lose value”.

Ladislas Rudahunga, a member of a cooperative that supplies meat in Nyagatare town, attributed the price hike to the increasing scarcity of beef cattle. 

"We don’t increase meat prices to discourage our consumers. We have experienced a serious decline in the number of cows supplied on the market. This is the key reason for price hikes,” he noted.

He added that continuous increase of meat prices had affected demand on the market."There was a relative demand for meat products on the market but when prices went up, the consumer ratio slightly decreased. This is affecting our business as well,” he said.

Francis Safari, a veterinary specialist in Nyagatare Sector said that before meat dealers increase prices, they always consult local authorities.