The Nation Newspaper

Tag: meat

  • Meat sellers groan as sales slump

    Meat sellers groan as sales slump

    Meat sellers at abattoirs across the Lagos metropolis would be counting their losses today. This is because of the general elections scheduled for tomorrow, TONIA ‘DIYAN reports.

    Ideally, Saturday is supposed to be the peak of their weekly sales due to the fact that it is about the only day in the week that most families have the time to stock their deep freezers with meat, for meat sellers across the country, this may not be so.

    This is because of tomorrow’s general elections. Already, most meat sellers and butchers are gnashing their teeth because tomorrow will not fetch them any dime.

    There are fears that there will likely be scarcity of meat as well as a hike in the prices of food items across Lagos markets this weekend. According to Lagos abattoirs, the northerners that  transport cows from the north to Lagos  have registered for the elections  in their various states and as such, will want to stay back to perform their civic responsibilities in their states.

    At the Oko Oba abattoir in Agege area of Lagos,  Chairman, United Butchers Association, Alhaji Umar Adams, lamented that beyond the fear that the presidential elections for tomorrow will obstruct business activities for them at the abattoir, they have been experiencing scarcity of cows since the announcement of the elections for tomorrow and April 11.

    Adams who is popularly called Galadima Yama told The Nation Shopping that Oko Oba abattoir slaughters between 600 and 1000 cows in the week, adding that Saturdays are the days more cows are slaughtered. According to him, between 1000 and 1500 cows are slaughtered. “Tomorrow’s election will affect our business, we slaughter more cows today and tomorrow, but we won’t be able to do so tomorrow. This means no work and no income,” he said

    To meet up with the demands of the crowd who would be buying meat today, meat sellers  in Lagos have said they will slaughter more cows than they have ever done on any Friday before. This is because there would not be cow slaughtering tomorrow evening after the elections. The abattoirs will be empty tomorrow as meat sellers would also be at the polling booths to carry out their civic responsibilities.

    One of the workers in the abbatoir, Kamurudeen Ayodele said: “The election is a day and it is most important to all Nigerians. Therefore, we will go out and vote tomorrow. Our business will wait,” he said.

    Adams said these abattoirs are equipped with cold rooms to preserve unsold meat. This takes care of the fear that unsold meat would get bad before the following day. The case will not be different by tomorrow when these abattoirs will be closed, Unsold meat today will be preserved and sold on Sunday.

    Retailers who won’t be able to buy fresh meat to resell tomorrow when sale of this staple food item will highly be driven, will have to wait till Monday to buy fresh meat from the abattoirs.  Findings have it that cow slaughtering business is a profitable one depending on the type and size of the cow.

    A member of Lagos State Butchers Association, Itire Branch, Mr Ogun Omomeji  said 150 cows are slaughtered on Saturdays alone, adding that during the week, about 100 are done. But  tomorrow’s case will be different as the abattoir will be shut and every butcher will be at their various polling booths to cast their votes.

    He said: “Since election date was announced, we began to reduce the quantity of cows we buy on a daily basis to avoid waste of meat at any point in time. Some of us slaughter three cows daily depending on how financially buoyant we are and we make over N500, 000 particularly on Saturdays.

    “Election will affect the price of meat today and the quantity we sell normally for N2000 will cost N3000 and more.“

    He added also that the price of meat has been affected because of the fall in the value of the naira to the dollar.

    Alhaji Idowu Iwa Akinbola blames the increment in the prices of meat and other stapple items on the devaluation of naira. He said, he nolonger makes profit on the sale of  cows like he used to do, lamenting that he loses between N5000 and N10, 000 daily.

    Chairman, Lagos States Butchers Association, Itire Branch, Alhaji Sulaimon Yusuf, however, said shoppers have been patronising the abbatoir despite the distractions the country is facing.

    He said cow has been very expensive with the small size costing as much as between N100,000 and  N160, 000, a medium size cow costs N250,000. He  also lamented that tomorrow’s election has affected the prices of cows because those who bring them into Lagos from Niger Republic, Chad and other neighbouring countries are avoiding coming to Lagos now because of insecurity.

    He advise that it is better for the cow transporters to stay back at their places as election period is a time to protect onesself.

  • GEMs1 facilitates loans for meat, leather sellers

    Growth and Employment in States (GEMs1), a programme sponsored by the Department for International Development, (DFID) has facilitated loan facilities boost the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), in Kano. The beneficiaries are in need of capital to set up their investment and access funds from financial institutions in order to expand their businesses.

    In an interview with the Deputy Team Leader, Alhaji Bello Yakasai, shortly after a programme, with Enhancing Access to Finance and Financial Inclusion for MSMEs with Professional Services Provision as its theme, explained that the concept of the event is to provide linkages.

    According to him, the move is to build the bridge between where the finances are available in the banks and micro-finance institutions to the market, which people require to do their business.

    On the financial aspect, he noted that there are three types of finances, namely, INL, a capital provider, which is continuous without limit, with privileged information, as well as translate and balance it with bank requirement for the company to assess money.

    Also, he said there is a N950 million equity fund to be initiated by LCM Consulting to be provided for meat and leather businesses to borrow on allied basis.

    The third set of money, according to him is the available facilities with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which it makes available through deposit money banks to be assessed by the people, adding that it has no limit and is continuous, which is the first phase.

    He disclosed that the immediate available funds is the release by the Bank of Agriculture to businessmen in meat and leather cycle.

    He noted that to date, GEMs have applied for not less than N.5 billion but due to stringent processes, only  few  indicated interest, which to his estimation will be between N50 millionand N60 million will be disbursed between that region.

    Finally, he disclosed that about 2,500 people will benefit from the funds, which is a continuous process, pointing out that the beneficiaries have acquired knowledge and information.

     

  • Meat price goes up

    Meat price goes up

    The price of meat has gone up in Lagos markets.

    Butchers at the Harmony Abattoir Management Service Limited said the increase in the price was caused by hike in fares. According to meat sellers, they risk their lives to get meat transported from the North.

    They said Boko Haram problem is a major cause and that most of them get killed when ferrying cattle from up North to Lagos.

  • 8 processed foods to beware of

    8 processed foods to beware of

    Over the past twenty years, a lot has changed, and the foods that we eat

    are creating a sicker generation of children. Even small changes will go a

    long way when significant percentages of the population take part, knowing

    or unknowingly. As a result, we now have epidemic increases in diabetes,

    heart disease, obesity and cancer.

    The commercialization of food has forced food companies to find newer,

    cheaper mechanisms to increase the shelf life of food, improve color, taste

    and perceived nutritional value.  The result – a food system that is

    heavily laced with food preservatives, artificial food colorings and

    chemicals.

    Processed foods are one of the greatest dangers to one’s overall health as

    they provide little actual nutritional value.  These foods are commonly

    loaded with unhealthy sugars, salts and fats that create inflammation,

    spike blood sugar and elevate blood pressure.

     

    *Instant noodles topped with MSG*

    There are many brands of instant noodles but few will win any health food

    awards. The immediate danger is what is in the flavor packet that comes

    with the noodles.  This packet often contains monosodium glutamate or MSG

    and very high amounts of salt.

    One of the most common causes of high blood pressure and kidney disease is

    eating too much salt.  One can incorporate instant noodles into a healthy

    diet by simply leaving out the flavor packet.

     

    *Sweet addictions*

    There are many types of sweets and ways of making them but the vast

    majority are high in saturated fat and a large portion of the calories come

    from sugars. They are also a very poor source of vitamins and minerals.

    The sugar is not just bad for one’s teeth but is a leading cause of

    inflammation and weight gain as well.

    It was appalling to find a small sweet that was packed with over 234

    calories, 25 grams of sugar and 12 grams of fat.  Sugar is addictive as it

    manipulates one’s taste buds, metabolism and brain into seeking out more.

     

    *Soda affecting heart beats*

    People often drink soda as if it is water, some even instead of water. Soda

    has an alarming amount of sugar, calories and harmful additives that have

    absolutely no nutritional value. Studies have linked soda to osteoporosis,

    obesity, tooth decay and heart disease.

    The caffeine found in soda can cause jitters, insomnia, high blood

    pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin

    and mineral depletion, breast lumps and possibly even some forms of cancer.

    Soda also contains phosphoric acid that can interfere with the body’s

    ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis or softening of the

    bones and teeth. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes the acids in the stomach

    making it difficult to properly utilize nutrients.

     

    *Crisps ousting healthier snacks*

    Crisps are perceived to be inexpensive, tasty and a convenient snack, but

    the toll they take on our bodies may not be worth the risk. An occasional

    handful of crisps may not cause irreparable damage to someone consuming an

    otherwise healthy diet but the real dangers arise when one consumes crisps

    on a regular or daily basis.

    Crisps are typically low in vitamins and minerals, and they tend to oust

    things in the diet that have better nutrient values.  They are typically

    high in fat and energy, which can raise the risk of weight gain and

    obesity. As an example, one ounce or 15 to 20 crisps of a popular brand

    contained 10 grams of fat and 154 calories.

     

    *Sugary cereals no better than biscuits*

    Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It provides the energy for

    the day, nutrients needed to repair bodily tissues and activates one’s

    metabolism to maintain a healthy weight.  Junk food, also known as sugary

    cereals in the morning will provide no nutritional value and can do more

    harm than good.

    According to a recent study, children’s breakfast cereals should be in the

    chocolate biscuit aisle of supermarkets.  One cup of a popular brand of

    children’s cereal contained more sugar than three cookies.

    Researchers looked at 50 cereals overall and 32 were too high in sugar.

    Even brands advertising themselves as healthy options tipped the scales.

    ‘Healthy options’ usually indicates the fortification of vitamins or

    minerals.  Fortification is a process of artificially implanting nutrients

    to improve product sales.

     

    *Boxed juices or boxed sugar with colorings*

    Infants less than a year old should not drink any fruit juice, 1 to 6 years

    olds shouldn’t exceed 6 ounces of fruit juice per day and older children

    ages 7 to 18 shouldn’t consume more than 8 or 12 ounces per day, ideally

    divided into two servings according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

    Sensationalist claims on the box make it difficult to figure out if the

    juice is actually healthy or not. Numerous studies detail the dangers of

    drinking too many high-energy, high-sugar, low-nutrient beverages.

    Consumers should be urged to check the food label before purchasing any of

    their favorite juices.

     

    *Processed meats producing cancers*

    Many processed meats are made with unhealthy nitrates, nitrites, trans

    fats, saturated fats and large amounts of sodium and sugar. A recent study

    showed a 67 percent increase in pancreatic cancer for people consuming

    moderate amounts of processed meat. The high trans and saturated fat

    content can sabotage one’s heart and waistline as well.

    Sodium nitrite can be found in nearly every packaged meat product

    imaginable. It’s listed on the food label of products such as bacon,

    breakfast sausages, dried meats, pepperoni, sandwich meats, ham and even

    the meats found in canned soups.

     

    *Noodles, sauces and artificial colorings*

    Processed and unhealthy, just the thought of the powdered imitation sauce

    alone should make one cringe. These products contain excessive amounts of

    salts and preservatives to ensure the shelf life of the product.

    Artificial colorings, stabilizers and emulsifiers are chemicals used to

    make the food more attractive and palatable.

    Imitation powdered sauces often contain chemicals like artificial dye

    yellow #5 and #6. Yellow #5 is a water-soluble artificial dye that is also

    known as Tartrazine. Other foods that contain Tartrazine includes cake,

    pudding, biscuits, cookies, muffins, breads, pie crusts, frostings, sweets,

    gums, ice cream, beverages, cereals, instant waffles, yogurts, chips,

    crackers, salad dressing, pickles, cheeses, dips, takeaway foods, prepared

    dried and frozen entrees and sides.

    The problems do not stop there. Packaged sauces also contain a fattening

    secret known as partially hydrogenated oils. These oils are one of the

    reasons that heart disease is one of the fast growing health conditions.

    Food companies routinely manipulate oils to make them partially

    hydrogenated. This manipulation allows the oils to be more stable and have

    a longer shelf life. The entire process of partially hydrogenating an oil

    will produce unhealthy trans fats. Trans fatty acids are toxic to our

    systems, produce inflammation and allow diseases to develop.

    Partially hydrogenated oils also have a negative effect on cholesterol

    levels as they raise LDL (bad cholesterol) and lower HDL (good

    cholesterol). These oils have also been linked to the development of

    diabetes and a variety of cancers.

    Dr. Cory Couillard is an international healthcare speaker and columnist for

    numerous newspapers, magazines, websites and publications throughout the

    world. He works in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s goals

    of disease prevention and global healthcare education. Views do not

    necessarily reflect endorsement.

    Email: drcorycouillard@gmail.com

Facebook: Dr. Cory Couillard

Twitter: DrCoryCouillard

  • Butchers get N3.6b meat preservation loan

    LAGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola has approved N3.6 billion soft loan for butchers to acquire cooling vans for proper meat preservation and distribution.

    Chairman of the National Butchers Union of Nigeria, (NBUN), Lagos State Chapter, Alhaji Muritala Babalola, aka Seriki Kara, made this known yesterday at the union’s Southwest meeting in Ibadan. He praised the governor for the loan.

    Babalola recalled that in 2010, Fashola gave them N670 million loan to buy over 150 Mitsubushi vans. This, he said, enabled the butchers to transport their meat from one abattoir to another effectively.

    He said: “Fashola has help us to protect the health of the citizens, especially with the slaughter and preservation of meat in a hygienic environment with the purchase of these vehicles, because we do not need to hire unclean vehicles to transport our meat to the market again.”

    Babalola promised the union’s continued support for Fashola’s transformation agenda.