Several meat sellers in Shuwaikh have unanimously agreed that the current hike in meat prices is the result of the inadequate availability of the product in the Kuwaiti market, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
They argued that the high demand for meat during Ramadan is another reason for the scarcity of the product and led to the shop owners resorting to the direct import of meat to cover the deficit.
Jumah Al-Saleh, a meat seller, was of the opinion that inadequate quantities of available meat in the local market has resulted in the price hike. He lamented that merchants supplied only few rams to shop owners, thereby creating a clear scarcity of meat and rise in prices of the available ones.
He said the merchants would import about 20 ships of sheep into the country from Iran on a weekly basis during the previous years, but barely supplied a shipload of the consignment within a week this year. “This drastic fall in supply and increase in demand has led to the meat disaster this Ramadan”, he said.
Another meat seller, Saber Mohammed agreed with his colleague while explaining that the principle of demand and supply has been affecting the meat market negatively this year. He added that the demands of consumers are high and often varied.
Mohammed went on to explain that some people ask for an entire sheep while many others buy pieces of meat. He said sellers are more interested in selling complete sheep rather than parts, as it costs over KD 50 to procure the sheep from the local market. “It is clear that we have to sell at prices that will earn us profits and we find it difficult to meet the demands of our customers”, the man explained.
On his part, Ali Khalid, another meat seller troubled by the current meat crisis, pointed out that the sharp increase in the number of customers and the demand for meat during Ramadan led many merchants to import rams from Pakistan at around KD 28.
He affirmed the prices would not go down unless the government allows interested companies to import rams and sheep into the local market without hindrances. He contended that this method was the only way to balance the demand and supply. “Concerned companies have not been supplying enough rams and sheep into the market, and this is why we sometimes have to opt for the frozen meat that many customers do not prefer”, Khaled opined.

Arabtimes