The president of the Republic was last week heard on GRTS television saying that he would supply hundred cattle to be slaughtered in the Kanifing Municipality for the Muslim feast, locally called 'Laylatul Hadr (kitimo)', a day that many Muslims in the Gambia observe as a night of vigil for prayers in the month of Ramadan. He said he already has 500 cattle heads and that the target is to keep 1000 cattle in stock so as to supply meat from this day towards the end of Ramadan and Eid el Fitr (Koriteh).

It was reported that for almost one week the Kanilai farm was not supplying meat to the Kanifing municipality. People who went to buy meat at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) grounds were told that meat was not available and were promised that there will be meat on this feast day.

This reporter was assigned yesterday morning, the day of 'Laylatul Hadr (kitimo)', to go round and find out what the reality is on the ground. At the KMC grounds, there were large numbers of people all around the premises. The officials were said to have gone to pick the slaughtered cattle from the Central Abattoir.

The Deputy Mayor of KMC, Mr. Yusupha Sanyang, was contacted on his phone. He said he could not verify the number of cattle slaughtered. He said they are working with the Gambia Livestock Marketing Agency GLMA and that they have trained young Gambians who are at the market to make sure that there is sufficient meat to satisfy the demand of consumers.

The butcher stall at the Serrekunda Market was chaotic and full to capacity. People were pushing and pulling each other as nobody was willing to give chance to the other. Some of them were calling the name of the butcher and trying to pass the money to him.

From here, the reporter then proceeded to the Governor's Office in Brikama and the Brikama Area Council. He found large crowds of people waiting for the meat at the two places. He was informed that the officials have gone to collect the meat from the Central Abattoir. Long queues of people were formed at all the butchers' stalls in the Market. They were selling meat and bone at D60 per kilo and Beef steak for D80 per kilo.

There were incidents that caused serious tensions when for example a person who came late would want to jump the queue and be given preferential treatment. This would generate uproar and bitter protests from those already in the queue. In one similar scenario, the butcher almost stopped selling the meat and was shouting at the peak of his voice to tell those who have been long in the queue that the favoured guy had given him money about two days ago.

At the Abuko Abattoir, the reporter saw a massive crowd of people on both sides of the road. All the butchers' stalls on the road were busy attending customers. There were hundreds of people trying to buy meat. There was commotion everywhere at all the butchers' stalls at the entrance of the Central Abattoir. The people waiting for the meat could number more than a thousand. The tickets issued got finished resulting in names being written and called out.

The reporter talked to one of the customers coming to buy meat who appeared very upset. He argued that the selling of meat in few centralized places could only aggravate the problem because it cannot be sustainable. He said the duties to be paid by cattle sellers should be reexamined and reduced to enable traders to reduce the prices themselves", he concluded.