Goat and sheep prices have surged by up to 40% in both Mogadishu and Dubai with just days to go before Eid al-Adha, as a punishing drought and heightened regional tensions combine to disrupt East Africa’s livestock trade. At Mogadishu’s Dayah Market, one of the capital’s largest livestock hubs, sellers report goats now fetching between 190 and 350, with some animals priced close to $400.
For millions of Somali families, livestock is more than an asset; it is the economic engine of the rural economy, contributing roughly 40 percent of the country’s GDP. The price spike comes at a particularly sensitive time, as Eid al-Adha-which falls on Wednesday, May 27; one of the most important holidays in the Islamic calendar, when Muslim families are expected to slaughter an animal as a religious sacrifice.
“The market situation has changed dramatically. The prolonged drought and the lack of money have caused livestock to become more expensive,” a trader at Dayah Market said.
Poor rainfall and limited pasture have sharply reduced the number of healthy animals arriving in the capital, squeezing supply just as demand is traditionally at its peak.
The impact is not confined to Somalia. In Dubai’s Al Qusais livestock market, Somali sheep prices have jumped nearly 40%. A seller explained that a sheep that previously sold for 750 dirhams (about $204) now costs between 1,000 and 1,100 dirhams ($272-$300).
That rise is being driven not only by local drought but also by turmoil on the high seas. Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for Gulf-bound livestock, has fallen by more than 90%, forcing some traders to explore costlier air freight alternatives from India.
Kamran Khan, owner of Muhammad Ejaz Livestock Trading in Dubai, told The National that while prices typically rise before Eid because of supply and demand, regional tensions and disruption to shipping have made the increase much sharper this year.
“Usually before and during Eid, prices of livestock increase due to supply and demand, but with the tension in the region, the prices surged,” Khan said.
In Mogadishu, the burden is falling hardest on families already struggling with inflation and the rising cost of basic goods. One vendor noted that a sheep, which used to cost $150, now goes for more than $250. Many households are now reconsidering whether they can afford the annual sacrifice at all.
