The President contended that it is unacceptable for butchers to sell a kilo of meat for D100.00 or more, noting that he knew the price of a head of cattle. He said that selling a head of cattle bought at D7,000 for D21,000 is outrageous.
"They either reduce the price or I kick them out. Because I have enough and I can bring enough cattle to supply the market with enough meat. That was why I needed that facility. That is why I bought it. I am not interested in making profit, but foreigners cannot come to this country and destroy it because they say 'Oh Gambians are lazy,'" he said.
Further pointing out the cruelty of the phenomenon of pegging meat price above the reach of the ordinary Gambian, he observed: "The cattle they are buying is ours. The maximum price they can buy any cattle in the provinces would be D7000. They come and sell it here for D21,000. If you buy it at D21,000, what is the weight of the cow. How many kilos are you going to have from this and for you to make profit how much are you going to sell it to the Gambian people?" he enquired, noting that the most obvious corollary is that many a Gambian have to settle for
Fish the price of which would thus have to hike because of demand.
The President went on to assure that he would engage the Secretary of State for Fisheries, Mr Yankuba Touray, to prevail on the fisher folk, the majority of whom are foreigners, to do likewise "or we are going to make sure we control those facilities."
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