Ram sellers and traders of other basic food items in Lagos and Ogun states have complained of low patronage, less than five days to the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

Many of the ram traders in Agege Abattoir, Ishaga, Magodo, Kara, who had stocked different brands of the animal as well as goats in preparation for the Sallah sales, complained of low patronage.

Some of the market women blamed the poor economy for the high cost of food items and the low sales.

Some lamented that they had been selling on credit in recent times due to the slow pace of business.

Prices of essential food items have increased gradually from the beginning of the year due to a myriad of economic factors such as the increase in the pump price of petrol from N86 to N145; high exchange rate and non-payment of salaries by many employers, all of which have led to low purchasing power.

Findings by our correspondent showed that food items such as rice, meat, cabbage, carrot, vegetable oil, palm oil and yam have become more expensive, while the prices of tomato were considerably affordable due to its seasonal availability.

Ram, a major livestock used in the Sallah festive period, was offered at varying prices, depending on the size.

 A trader in Oko-Oba Abattoir in the Agege area, Mr. Musibau Alimi, told our correspondent that the biggest ram cost about N150, 000 while the smallest was N30, 000.

According to him, the prices of the animals have increased by an average of 114 per cent because the same size of ram, which now sells for N150,000, was sold for about N70,000 last year.

Alimi said it might not be possible to get huge returns from the business this year due to slow sales but was hopeful that the prices of the animals would increase gradually as the Sallah day approached.

Another ram dealer in the Kara Market along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, who identified himself as Tajudeen, said that the animals were brought from Kano State and prices were fixed based on how much they were purchased from wholesalers.

He explained that in one week of stocking the animals, he had only been able to sell 10 rams.

In addition, a trader, who simply identified herself as Aminat in Ketu Market, told our correspondent that a bag of rice, which she sold for N8,500 the previous year, had risen to N19,000, recording a 123 per cent price increase.

Similarly, she said a 25 litres of palm oil, which she sold for N6,500 during  last year’s festive season, had soared to N10,000, recording a 54 per cent hike.

Findings also showed that vegetable oil had recorded 46 per cent hike in price from N6,500 to N12,000.

“Things are generally expensive and I don’t think sales during the coming Sallah celebration will change,” she lamented.

The prices of vegetables have also soared, as discovered in Ikeja market.

Checks by our correspondent revealed that cabbage, whose price ranged from N200 to N400 the previous year, was now being sold for between N400 and N600; while carrot had recorded a hike in price from N200 to N300 for the same quantity.