West African meat prices surge amid supply disruptions

In Dakar, Senegal, the price of beef and mutton has risen sharply, with the kilogram now reaching up to 6,000 CFA compared with around 3,500 CFA two years ago. Industry officials cite higher livestock feed costs and supply difficulties linked to insecurity in neighboring countries as key drivers. Oumar Mbaye Madiaga of the Société de gestion des abattoirs du Sénégal (SOGAS) noted, “In 2024 and 2025 the kilo of beef sold between 3,300 and 3,500 CFA. Today it varies between 4,500 and 4,700 CFA; in some markets up to 5,000 CFA.”

A similar crisis is unfolding in Lélouma, a pastoral prefecture of Guinea, where butcher stalls are often empty and meat prices have climbed. Local authorities attribute the shortage to insecurity that blocked traditional imports from Mali, seasonal weight loss in livestock, and competition from larger urban markets. A consumer lamented, “No meat at the butcher shop for several weeks, it’s incomprehensible.” The combined supply constraints are reducing household meat consumption across the region.