Fiji: Declining goat sales dishearten farmers
Posted by Labels: Cattle and Livestock, Goat Farming, Meat(The Fiji Times) THE demand for goats for Christmas meals has declined in the north this festive season.
Farmers selling goats at the Labasa market yesterday told The Fiji Times that the usual Christmas high demand from customers to buy goats was different this year because sales dropped.
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| Farmer Udit Narayan with a goat from his farm priced at $340. |
As a result, some farmers from Vanua Levu supplied a number of goats to Suva to rake in income.
Farmer Udit Narayan of Muanidevu in Dreketi said he supplied a total of 60 goats to Suva last week and intended to sell about 50 in Labasa.
"I began sales of goats from December 7 and the sales aren't as good as it used to be in the previous years," Mr Narayan said.
The price of goats sold at the Labasa market ranged from $150 to $340 each.
"I increased the number of goats at the farm but it's disheartening to see a decline in business," he said.
"People are going through difficult times and most of them don't have much money left because they have spent it during cane harvesting.
"People have been trying hard to save money all year round and the rising cost of living hasn't eased their burden.
"If people start spending money on goats, they won't be able to buy other necessary items."
He said families were spending wisely because they would have school shopping to do next year.
He earned about $15,000 in December last year from the sale of 120 goats and Mr Narayan expected the earnings to decrease to $10,000 this year.
Mr Narayan said a number of goats were falling ill and dying in farms because of the wet weather conditions.
"The rain hasn't been favourable to goats because they easily fall ill and if not taken care of from an early stage, the goats die."
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