EXCLUSIVE: YULETIDE: SCARCITY OF DOG MEAT HITS CALABAR METROPOLIS
Ndifereke BASSEY
Dog meat eaters are lamenting the scarcity of the delicacy in Calabar as high demand seem to have exceeded availability in Calabar metropolis, THE BEAGLE NEWS can authoritatively reveal.
Checks by our correspondent showed that most dealers, especially in Calabar South, have ran out of stock due to soaring demand for dog meat.
Revellers, who are in town for the Yuletide, seemed to have complicated the situation having being said to be scrambling at some dog meat joints in search of the dog delicacy to assuage their appetite.
Dog meat is one of the most delicious delicacies among the people of Cross River, Ondo, Plateau and Akwa Ibom states.
The delicacy also known as '404’, ‘J5’, ‘Pepperoni’, is commonly known as a way of life and consumed with plantain or white rice and "flushed down" with palm wine of chilled bottle of beer.
The high demand is as a result of influx of revellers into the Canaan City for the Christmas festival and annual Calabar Carnival even as almost all hotels are fully booked by visitors.
Further checks around some joints in Calabar South, Akim, Diamond Hill, Ediba, Big Qua, Adiabo, Asari Eso, and Ikot Eka Edem axis also revealed that a piece of dog meat that usually goes for between N200 and N500, depending on the location, now goes for N500 and N1,000.
It was learnt that customers book in advance to enable the sellers prepare it as it takes about two hours to prepare it with a mouth-watering sauce very well.
Further checks by THE BEAGLE NEWS this morning revealed that most dealers in dogs have jerked up the price a dog to between N60,000 and N90,00 for Huasa dogs while local breeds go for between N70, 00 and N120,00.
Sharing his experience, a visitor, who simply gave his name as Effiong Effiong, said: "I came into town four days ago and decided to go for our usual dog delicacy this morning.
"I chattered a cab to take me to one of the joints in Calabar South and we couldn't find a dog meat in most joints we went to.
"I decided to buy a full dog and take home to prepare and host my friends and the price went to roof tops as the smallest Hausa dog we saw went for N80,00 while our local breed went for N100,000.
"We went to about five dog sellers' houses and couldn't find a good one to buy, and was rather told to come back on Sunday this weekend when more traders would have arrived from the North."
Another reveller, who resides in along Marian Road in Municipality and simply know as Mmaenyen, told THE BEAGLE NEWS that she is sad that since she arrived Calabar for the Yuletide, she has eaten god meat only once and it was very expensive even as she was not satisfied with quality and seasoning.
"I came in from Abuja to see my parents and to catch my fun. So, I will still locate other dog meat joints to eat our local delicacy.
"What will I tell my friends if I go back without having a good dose of dog meat. My journey to Calabar would not be complete without eating dog," she stated.
Equally sharing his experience, Junior Duke, 25, who came in from UK to share in the Christmas festivities, said: "Hi man, I need to eat dog before I travel back next week Saturday. Have been around for a few days on and have told my Mum that I need to join my peers to one of the cool dog meat joints.
"But I heard it is a little scarce. Well, I hope by Monday things will be okay, especially after the Carnival this weekend. Surely, some visitors will go back and the demand for dog would have come down. In any case, I will eat my native delicacy before I go back."
Some sellers, who spoke with THE BEAGLE NEWS, admitted that there is scarcity of dogs in the market and that has affected the dog meat joint operators.
They attribute the scarcity to the high cost of transportation and influx of visitors to Calabar this season.
A seller of Hausa dogs, who identified himself as Emmanuel Udo, said: " I think we underestimated the dog market as they demand triple compared to last year. We are surprised at the rush for dog meat this year.
"The local dog joint operators are calling us to book for more dogs and we have placed orders with our suppliers in the northern part of the country.
"We expect our supplies by Sunday. So, we appeal they manage what is available. For us, dog meat has boasted our local economy and personal finances. By next year, we will get prepared."
On why, they prefer going to North, Udo, 58, said: "The northern dogs is preferred because it has no fats and also taste delicious and cheaper than local breed, which contains much fats.
"A lot off customers don't want to be fat so they avoid local dogs because it has a lot of fatty contents. Besides, Hausa dogs are cheaper.
"What we do is that when we come back with the Hausa dogs, we feed it with grass for a few days to gain more weight then you sell it off because it moves market."
