By: Alieu Jallow
As Tobaski approaches, ram merchants are not hopeful for lucrative sales of Tobaski rams.
The Fatu Network visited the famous Bureng “Lumo” to gauge the reactions of businessmen on the eve of Tobaski.
Every Wednesday, the Bureng Lumo is a bustling environment where people from near and far gather to buy, sell, network, and sometimes find spouses.
On the eve of Tobaski, ram dealers at the prominent village expressed concerns about low sales, citing high supply and low demand.
Ebrima Barry from Jarra Bureng pointed out how this year’s Tobaski differs from previous years, attributing the change to economic scarcity. Mr. Barry appealed to the government for security and a loan scheme to boost their business, as they continue to battle theft.
“We want the government to provide us with loan schemes so we can borrow money, boost our business, and repay the loan,” he appealed.
Amadou Dem from Wellingara in southern Senegal said that last year they made good sales but stressed that they are not optimistic about sales this year as the CFA continues to cripple the Gambian dalasi.
“Last year, the prices were better because the value of the dalasi was stronger compared to this year. The exchange rate from CFA to dalasi is so high that we can’t make a profit, so we appeal to the authorities to look into the exchange rate issue,” he said.
Alieu Gigago, a young entrepreneur from Bureng who breeds sheep, also echoed his fellow businessmen, outlining how supply outstrips demand, with many not financially stable to sustain their business.
Determined to grow his business, Alieu cited limited capital as an impediment to his growth. He pointed out how the lack of regulations in the livestock business cripples their operations and called on the authorities to implement measures to regulate the livestock industry.
“We want the government to implement control mechanisms, such as introducing licensing requirements to help those of us in the business grow. The market is saturated with everyone, so control mechanisms would be helpful,” he said.
Many of the people we spoke to expressed concerns over low ram sales this year. Many of them said they have been roaming with their rams for days with little or no sales, and their last hope for better sales is the “Lumo”.
