Rising meat prices are forcing many Ugandans to cut back on beef as the cost of a kilogram climbs from about Shs16,000 to between Shs20,000 and Shs22,000 in several parts of the country.
At abattoirs, wholesale prices now range between Shs15,000 and Shs17,000 per kilogram depending on quality, while retailers sell to consumers at Shs20,000 to Shs22,000. The surge is already squeezing households and small businesses.
The sharp increase has pushed low-income families toward cheaper alternatives like chicken and other food options as they grapple with the rising cost of living. Industry players blame a mix of animal disease outbreaks, prolonged dry spells in cattle-rearing areas, higher transport costs, and growing demand from regional markets.
Kalerwe Abattoir Chairperson Sulaiman Ssekanyo said disease outbreaks and quarantines in several districts of the cattle corridor have drastically cut cattle supply to markets and abattoirs. Earlier this year, districts including Ntungamo, Abim, Amudat, Amuria, Bukedea, Sembabule, Bukwo, Bulambuli, Gomba and Isingiro were hit by Foot-and-Mouth Disease. The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries suspended the sale and movement of cattle and cattle products in affected districts to contain the spread.
Ssekanyo said the restrictions, while necessary for disease control, have reduced the number of animals reaching markets and driven prices up. He also cited prolonged drought in cattle corridor districts, which has hurt livestock production.
‘Many cattle are reared under free-range systems and become malnourished during drought because of poor pasture and water. The prolonged drought reduces the number of animals supplied to the market, which in turn pushes up meat prices across the country,’ he said.
Cattle trader Lozio Kafumbe blamed middlemen for part of the hike, saying they buy directly from farmers and resell to livestock traders at much higher prices.
‘Cattle prices in villages currently range between Shs1.5 million and Shs5 million per animal, considerably higher than five years ago. That higher cost of buying cattle is eventually passed on to consumers through higher meat prices,’ Mr Kafumbe said.
He added that traders from the Democratic Republic of Congo have intensified competition by buying large numbers of cattle from different parts of Uganda and moving them through Bwera market into DRC. ‘The traders buy cattle at competitive prices in Uganda and sell them in DRC using dollar transactions, making it hard for local traders to compete and contributing to higher livestock prices in Uganda,’ he said.
Kafumbe expressed hope that the closure of the Uganda-DRC border following the Ebola outbreak in the neighboring country could ease demand and eventually lower meat prices. He also pointed to rising fuel costs as another driver. ‘For example, we used to spend Shs400,000 on fuel when travelling to Gomba and other areas to buy cattle, but fuel costs have gone up by about Shs100,000, which also affects meat prices,’ he said.
The price shock is hitting businesses and homes hard. Juliet Nassozi, who runs a restaurant in Kawempe Corner Zone, said she used to buy five kilograms of beef daily at Shs13,000 to Shs14,000 per kilogram but now can only afford two kilograms at Shs20,000. She has reduced beef portions for customers, a move that has drawn complaints from some patrons.
Sarah Nansereko, a housewife in Kagoma, said feeding her family meat has become difficult. ‘My husband gives me Shs20,000 for food daily. When I want my family to eat meat, especially on weekends, I buy cow head meat at Shs10,000 per kilogram because it is cheaper than beef,’ Nansereko said.
Kafumbe warned that if meat prices keep rising, consumption among low-income households will fall further.