Hibernation season ends

Its that time of year again.Prepare the Awazie, pour the Tej, sharpen them knives and meet meat after 55 long days of bland food...

Ethiopia's meat loving population is getting ready to awakefrom its 55 day hibernation. Meat vendors are not expected to make life easy for Easter celebrants.
The fasting season comes to an end today, and the people of Addis will have their chance to satisfy their cravings for raw meat or Tibs.
It is now custom to eat raw meat or the great Ethiopian Tibs, the local 'Namachoma', as our Kenyan neighbors call it, directly at the butcher's in not so trendy surroundings.
The butchers proudly displaying their beef and serve you with a cut that you chose yourself, in a swift and efficient manner. Many also simply take their meat home. That tradition of eating meat at the butchers however, might become a luxury only a few can afford in the very near future.
Eating raw meat is a tradition that has been with us as far back as one can remember and is one that will sure not die out any time soon.
Though Ethiopians love thier meat, the supply is so dismal that there is usually a shortage.The government has already put in place plans to produce 578,000 tons of meat every year in a bid to increase the amount of meat provided for both the local and international markets.
"The demand for meat has been escaling. People always prefer meat. Some come here regularly to eat raw meat, but those who can't afford to do so may be once or twice a month. Most of the time, we don't have enough meat to serve all our customers," says Degu, a butcher in the Piazza area.
"It could be logical that the price of meat has escalated due to shortages, but it has to be in a way that doesn't become a burden on people's wallets," Degu added.
Ethiopia is not exporting to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to fear of a previous Rift Valley Fever scare in Kenya, and with the Middle East country looking to lift the ban, the current shortage of meat in Ethiopia could still reach new heights.
"I remember a time when I used to pay 30 birr for a kilo of meat when consumed at the butcher's, and 26-27 birr when I took it home and even that, I thought was expensive. Before the fasting season started (55 days ago) people had to pay 40 - 42 birr per kilo of raw meat at the butchers and who knows what heights it might reach now that the fasting season is over" says Fasil Tesfaye, an avid fan of raw meat. Last year, the price of chicken had gone down dramatically due to the hype of possible bird flu. When it was evident that there it was a false alarm, the prices went up with a vengeance and hit an unprecedented 50 birr. This year however, a couple of days before the Easter holiday, prices are still 50 birr in some places and 70 birr in others. That is scarier than H5N1.
Commodities have also increased with one egg now being sold for 1.10 cents,compared to the three eggs for a birr deal we had a year ago.
According to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, farmers have become more aware of the environment around them and are looking to produce the best of everything and selling at a price that suits them and not the average Ethiopian.
Though export is not as huge as it used to be, local consumption has been ever increasing, meaning that the market for the cattle providers will still be there. The price which cattle owners give to exporters however, has decreased due to the slump in export. Though export has not grown as much as it should, live cattle are still being sent via Djibouti, where upon the request of the cattle importing countries, the Djibouti port has set up a quarantine area. The lack of export opportunities has already forced vendors to start selling sheep at a minimum price of 550 birr and the most expensive going at 1,200 birr.
The meat market has suffered in the past two months, with butchers loosing as much as 100% of their income.Some that are devout Christians close their shop for the entire fasting season. Those who open during the season lose as much as 50-60% of their customers.That however is looking to change as the public will once again rise up to the occasion and fulfill its craving for the flavored delicacy.
Butchers and cattle owners who have lost out on income will definitely be looking to make up for ‘lost’ money by increasing the price of meat (beef, sheep and goat).
Increased prices or not however, that doesn't seem to have enough power to stop Ethiopians from eating meat. "I have been fasting for the past 53 days and when it is all done, my wife and I are going to our favorite butchers (Girgiro's) and have a kilo. I can already anticipate the taste of fresh kust," says Tegene Deresu, a 40 year old shop owner.
"I reckon that the price of meat per kilo might increase following the end of the fasting season, but that will not stop us from eating. I am lucky to be able to afford to buy the thing I love very much, but there are others who can't afford to do so, so I believe that the price of meat has to be regulated," he says.
Butchers, once you become a customer, will treat you so well that you will never want to leave. It is not an unusual sight to see customers arguing with the butcher saying 'I want this one and not that one', 'make sure that you do not give me tough meat' or 'please I don't want any fat, just red meat'.
"I have many customers and I know most of them by name and for 55 days, I haven't dealt with them so I kind of miss them. Now that it is over, I believe that my customers will come back and I am looking forward to the commotion and haggling that I do with them every time they come. As a businessman, I have to make a profit and if I buy the meat at a higher price, I don't like it, but I have to sell it for a higher price. I wish that the price could stabilize and more people could afford to buy meat but that is not the case. The ever increasing price of meat has forced many people to stop coming to butchers and that is not something that we like," says Degu.