Numerous road barriers account for high cost of meat in the southern sector.

Kumasi, June 30, GNA - Mr Mahamud Issahaku, a cattle dealer at the Kumasi cattle market, has attributed the high cost of meat in the southern part of the country to too many unauthorized police and customs barriers on the route, where the dealers are forced to pay huge sums of money before being allowed to pass with their truck-load of animals.

He explained that there were over ten barriers from cattle markets in the Upper East and Upper West regions to Kumasi, leading to an increase in their transportation cost which is finally passed on to the cost of the animals and the meat. Mr Mahamud stated this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi at the weekend.

The cattle dealer was particularly worried about the activities of the police personnel at Damongo Junction barrier where it had become a norm that heavy trucks and medium sized ones must pay Gh¢20 and Gh¢10 respectively before they are allowed to pass with their livestock load.

He therefore appealed to the government and other stakeholders involved to, as a matter of urgency, clear this bottleneck to ease the burden on the traders as well as the final consumers.

Mr Mahamud said the recent 30 per cent fuel prize increase had worsened the already high cost of meat products since transport owners have also increased their transportation charges drastically, which in the long run affects the final consumer.

GNA