Imported meat killing our businesses – Asafo Market butchers

Butchers at the Asafo Market butcher house fear their businesses are threatened by debts and losses occasioned by exchange rate pressures and competition from imported frozen meat.

According to the butchers, the country’s supply of cattle does not meet the demands of the market compelling dealers to import from Ghana’s northern neighbours to supplement demand.

Pointing to some empty spaces, a butcher Joseph Sando told Ultimate News’ Salimatu Hawini, “all the people on that lane have left because the meat is too expensive and when they bring it people are not buying so they had to leave.”

He indicated that it had become more challenging as the exchange rate of the cedi to the CFA continues to fluctuate, making the cattle expensive.

The situation has created a buzzing business of traders importing meat cheaper than fresh meat sold by the butchers.

“Some time past, you would have found many people here buying meat. But this is no more because they now prefer the imported meat in the cold stores because they are much cheaper,” Sando lamented.

Aside from the market pressures, their facility has been deprived of running water for more than twenty years as their taps have been disconnected from the mains of the Ghana Water Company Limited.

Upon making inquiries from the city authorities, they were informed the disconnection is as a result of accumulated debt with no records to show the amount involved.

“They told us they were disconnecting the water because of construction works only to later tell us we owed some money. We have gone all lengths to find out how much we owe to no avail,” another butcher Raymond Tindan noted.

The butchers expressed worry they spend lots of money and walk long distances fetching water from elsewhere to clean their slabs and keep their meat from contamination.

The butchers also live in fear as the roofing of the facility is in a terrible state almost ripping apart.

They told Ultimate News they were willing to fix it except that they didn’t know which channels to use to touch a government property.

Their plea is for the relevant authorities to engage them in their discussions for better conditions and for steps to be taken to stabilize the currency to keep them in business.