Dog meat sellers at Sandema in
the Builsa North Municipality of the Upper East Region were disappointed when
they visited the major market in the area to buy dogs and prepare for their
customers.
The sellers discovered on
visiting the dog market that the usually filled market had been deserted.
There were however other animals
such as sheep and goats for sale.
Dada Bee, a popular dog meat
seller at Sandema who expressed worry about the situation, told the GNA: “I
went to the dog market this morning at about 0900hours only to realise there
was only one dog in the market for sale.
“We were six dog meat sellers in
the market at the time, all bargaining to buy the dog. I was able to buy it
because I offered to pay GH¢185.00 for what I would have ordinarily bought for
GH¢140.00.”
Dada Bee explained that it was a
market day, and he could not afford to disappoint his customers, who usually
trooped to his place to buy their favourite delicacy by midday.
He said the situation had
compelled him to increase the price of the meat, “I used to sell the thigh of
the dog for GH¢25.00, but now, I am selling it for GH¢30.00, the neck which I
used to sell for GH¢18.00 or GH¢20.00, now goes for GH¢25.00.”
He said some customers who were
aware of the shortage were comfortable with the prices, while those who did not
know still bargained for the old price.
“Though some customers will
initially complain about the prices today, when I tell them the situation, they
understand and buy at the price I offer,” Dada Bee said.
Dada Bee and his colleagues
could not give the exact cause of the shortage except to jokingly say “The
people have eaten all the dogs”.
The dog meat sellers usually
move from home to home to buy the animals and also travel to other markets such
as the Fumbisi, Yagba and Kubori markets to buy.
“For the past week, all the markets
could not give us the numbers we usually buy so demand for the meat has gone
higher than we can supply”, they said.
Mr Abdulai Arimeyaw, a Butcher,
told the GNA that “I deal in sheep and goats, but we were all surprised this
morning when we came and realised the shortage of dogs in the market.”
According to him, there was
general shortage of all animals in the market, which led to price increase.
“Now unless you have GH¢200.00 or more, you will not get a sizeable goat or
sheep, which used to be sold at GH¢ 150.00 to buy. I came and couldn’t buy any,
and so I am returning home.”
Owing to the shortage of dogs in
the market, most vendors slaughtered pigs for their customers, while others
shutdown their joints.
The delicacy is usually served
with powdered dry pepper and chopped onions depending on the buyer’s choice,
and it is the favourite of many residents of Sandema and its environs.
One of Dada Bee’s customers who
was seated at the joint to buy his favourite part of the dog meat while it was
on fire, said “I rushed here from my office to buy the meat and return. I just
heard this morning that there was shortage of dogs in town.
“But despite the shortage, I
knew Dada Bee will not disappoint his customers. The only problem is that the
shortage will affect us because the prices of the meat will definitely go up,”
he said.
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