What determines prices and demand for meats?

More than availability and price, there are other factors ranging from culture to religion to personal tastes that are at play in the market for meats.

The animals are mostly sourced from the parts of the country that mostly rear the particular types of animals. Sometimes, the traders directly approach the key livestock farmers in the districts or go straight to the animal markets when the farmers are not selling.

Health concerns
One aspect with meat is the concern with health standards. Another trader at the Kampala abattoir, Alison Luwaga says, there are usually 14 standby veterinary doctors to inspect the animals before they are slaughtered. This is done to prevent the public from consuming contaminated meat that will do them harm. “The uninfected meat is stamped to mark it is good for consumption,” he says.

He cautions people against consuming meat of animals slaughtered from people’s homes. “It is not good to eat this meat though it is cheap. The animal might have had infections that will also cost your life. The inspectors at the abattoirs are knowledgeable, they know which meat is best for human consumption and one that will endanger one’s life,” he adds.

However, Kamali notes that less animals on the market come with higher prices while the higher the number of animals available on the market drives the prices lower.

At the other end of the spectrum, it is more than just the meats available in terms of kilogrammes.

It goes down to specific parts of the animals such as ham, bacon, pork chops, goat ribs, chicken necks, wings or breasts sold separately like that. There are also combinations marketed to appeal to different consumer tastes.

Tastes
In places like supermarkets with a special section for meats and high-end butcheries and meat shops, the meat is separated according to the animal part and it can either be boiled or roasted depending on one’s desires.

Christopher Haumba, the in-charge of the meat section at Nakumatt Oasis Mall, says they purchase the meat from Fresh Cuts, a meat processing factory, when it is already sorted into the different parts.

“We get various kinds of meats when they are already sliced in different parts. These also include whole chicken.”

He adds that this is done to ease people’s shopping since different people have different desires and tastes though the different parts are priced differently.

ckatende@ug.nationmedia.com