Nawaf Afat Okaz/Saudi GazetteRIYADH – The prices of sheep have gone up by 40 percent with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan and citizens have asked authorities to put a check on the spike in prices. They called upon the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry Agriculture and Consumer Protection Association to put an end to the rapid increase. In Riyadh, sheep prices ranged between SR1,500-SR1,800 and are expected to further increase over the next few days. Mishary Al-Shammary, a livestock trader, said it is normal for prices to go up around this time of the year. “This is the time when people hold weddings and banquets and consume large amounts of sheep. Moreover, the price of fodder has increased as well; farmers have to pay wages to workers also. All these factors have contributed to the latest hike in prices. We have to increase sheep prices to meet demand and cover our expenses," said Al-Shammary. Citizen Sultan Al-Mutairi said he has been looking for sheep to buy for the past few days but was unable find a price that he could afford. “Everyone is taking advantage of the summer vacation and the approach of Ramadan by sharply increasing prices of livestock. When you ask them why everything is so expensive, they give you implausible excuses. All dealers agree on raising the prices at the same time to take advantage of the situation and milk citizens for extra money," said Al-Mutairi. Bandar Al-Sulaiman called for setting up a government-run company to import sheep and control prices so that all citizens can afford to buy them.
