Players within the hospitality sector, in the Upper East Region, particularly operators of restaurants and traditional eateries known as ‘chopbars’ have expressed worry about the possible health implications of the absence of certified meat at the Bolgatanga meat market. They have also asked that patrons bear with them as they adjust the quantity and prices of food they sell.
The absence of meat on the market is due to the current impasse between the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly and the Bolgatanga Butchers Association.
When A1 Radio spoke to some operators of restaurants and ‘chopbars’, they expressed worry that in an effort to make meat available to satisfy customers at a rather cheap price, some of their competitors may have resorted to slaughtering animals in their homes. They explained that the danger is, some of these animals that are being slaughtered may not be healthy for public consumption.
They said because health and safety inspectors from the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department of the Assembly, along with Veterinary Officers are unavailable to access the health of the animal being slaughtered and certify the meat made available for sale, some operators could slaughter unhealthy animals.
These actions could result in the outbreak of diseases, they said.
Meanwhile, the operators explained that they have had to rely on butchers in Tamale for beef and sometimes, mutton. All the operators of the restaurants and traditional eateries that A1 Radio spoke to admitted that while the quality of meat and prices are better in Tamale, the cost of transportation and the many inconveniences associated with acquiring and transporting meat from Tamale, the Northern Regional Capital, is affecting their business.
“We used to serve three pieces of meat per plate, now we serve two because of the sizes we get from Tamale. The only thing is the cost and the inconvenience. I have a colleague who I send money to in Tamale to buy meat for me. This means she will have to leave what she is doing just so she can do that for me. You see, that is affecting my business,” one operator who chose to remain anonymous said.
Another explained that “I was lucky, when they were about to begin their strike, they brought me so much. so I was able to stock up. That is finished so I have had to buy from Tamale. It costs us ghc30 to transport one ice chest of meat. So if you have to do this every day, you can imagine the cost”.
A third operator who spoke to A1 Radio explained that she has had to spend close to ghc180 each day to transport beef worth over ghc3,000 from Tamale to Bolga each day. For her, the costs of Mobile Money transactions and transportation are too much to bear. She has thus passed same to the customers by reducing the quantity of food and adjusting the prices of the meat she sells at her eatery.
They pleaded with the Municipal Assembly and the Butchers to resolve their challenges.
Related Stories:
- BMA begins recruiting butchers for Yorogo abattoir; asks interested applicants to apply before January 2
- Bolga: Youth insist they’ll not move – Butchers Association explains breaking faith with BMA on Yorogo relocation
It would be recalled that the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly has locked up the old abattoir in Bolgatanga after the continued failure by the butchers to move to the newly constructed ultramodern slaughterhouse at Yorogo.
Meanwhile, the Bolgatanga Butchers Association have insisted that they have not embarked on a sit-down strike. The Association explained that the current situation where they are unable to slaughter animals and prepare their carcasses for sale to consumers should be blamed on the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly.
According to the MCE for Bolgatanga Rex Asanga, the old abattoir would not be reopened for business.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith & Samuel Adagom|Bolgatanga|
