East African Business Week

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - Livestock deliveries at Pugu cattle auction market in Dar es Salaam have dropped by over 19% last week, apparently because pastoralists see no reason to sell their animals after good rains season that boosted pastures.
The trend, which is experienced at almost all livestock markets in the country, has pushed up the value of cattle to affect the butcher's prices as well.
 Ministry of Industry and Trade statistics released recently show the Dar livestock market traded 525 compared to 650 head of cattle that was sold in the previous week.
 The Ministry's livestock market officer, Mr John Chassama told the East African weekly generally speaking all markets experienced supply decrement as pastoralists are enjoying green pastures, follows good rain season.
 "In some places cattle keepers are harvesting crops seeing no reason to sell animals at the moment," Mr Chassama said in an interview.
 Pastoralists experience hard times during drought which forces them to sell their animals at throw-away prices because most depend on range pastures to feed their stocks.
 The average price for mature male cows grade 2 at the Pugu cattle market increased by 3.%  to Tshs 412,000 (US$273) per head from Tshs 400,000 ($265) per cow while female grade 1 shot up to Tshs 461,000 ($305) from 455,000 ($301) representing an increase of 2.4%.
 However, for mature male cow Grade 1 prices decreased by 7% to  Tshs 623,000 (($413) from Tshs 670,000 ($443) per head in the previous week.