Middlemen, Insecurity Push Up Beef Prices, Association Tells Federal Government

News in Brief:

—The Miyetti-Allah association has asked the government to support butchers with loans so they can buy cattle directly from livestock markets and reduce dependence on middlemen.

—The group said the rising cost of cattle, transportation, insecurity, veterinary expenses and limited grazing land are all contributing to higher beef prices across Nigeria.

The Miyetti-Allah Fulaku Yeso Yeso Development Association (MAFYDA) has called on the federal government to create loan facilities for butchers across the country, saying access to credit could help reduce the soaring cost of beef and other meat products in Nigeria.

The association claimed that many butchers are unable to buy cattle directly from livestock markets because they lack the financial strength to pay up front. As a result, they rely on middlemen and dealers who sell the animals at higher prices, a practice the group said is pushing up the final cost of meat for consumers.

Butchers Battle Inflation

Comrade Pariya, the association’s National Security Adviser, stated that the price chain has become too expensive for ordinary meat sellers to absorb. He said most butchers buy cattle on credit from dealers and only settle payments after selling the meat, a model that leaves them exposed to inflated prices.

According to him, government-backed loans would allow butchers to go straight to livestock markets and purchase cows without passing through middlemen. He argued that such support could help reduce pressure on beef prices, skin and offal markets nationwide.

Pariya said cattle that sell for between ₦500,000 and ₦750,000 at livestock markets are often resold by middlemen for as much as ₦1.3 million to ₦1.5 million, depending on the location. He described the practice as exploitative and said it had made the meat business more difficult for traders already struggling with thin profit margins.

Insecurity and High Transportation Costs

He also blamed insecurity and high transportation costs for the rise in meat prices, though he said security concerns in some cattle-producing areas are sometimes exaggerated. In his view, the fear of insecurity discourages many traders from travelling to livestock markets, further limiting supply and raising prices.

Also speaking, the Secretary of MAFYDA in Taraba State, Ibrahim Mohammed, said the increase in beef prices is also tied to the rising cost of veterinary drugs, vaccines and consultation fees, as well as the shortage of grazing land for livestock. His comments reflect the broader pressures facing Nigeria’s livestock value chain, where producers and traders continue to battle insecurity, logistics challenges and rising operating costs.

The development comes at a time when beef remains one of the most important sources of animal protein for many Nigerian households, but one that is becoming increasingly expensive for consumers.

News agencies reported that a kilogramme of beef, which sold for between ₦5,500 and ₦6,500 earlier in the year, now goes for between ₦8,000 and ₦9,000 in many parts of the country.