Ram goat meat in high demand this Christmas

Ram goat meat is in high demand for the Yuletide season, and although the price could reach $2,000 per pound, butchers at the Cross Roads Market in St Andrew said it's a must-have on the dinner table.

Ashley Sutherland, who returned to the market after a two-year break when he suffered a stroke, said he is surprised at how good his sales are going.

"One thing mi know is that people attracted to the most expensive meat. Ram goat meat go for $1,500 and $2,000 a pound and the people dem a buy it off. I don't know, but is like dem get a high or joy knowing that the meat they are cooking on Christmas Day is at least $1,000 more than dem neighbours' own. We have cheaper mutton but is the imported one for $900," he said between laughter.

Sutherland said the high prices of local mutton are due to the increase in praedial larceny.

"The goat tief dem a destroy the country and a dat make the ram goat meat dem suh high. A nuh joke ting when mi a tell yuh say people have to be raising them ram goats in them bedroom like them children," he said.

Though the current local supply of goat and sheep meat is not sufficient to meet the high demand, Trevor Bernard, president of the Small Ruminants Association, said Jamaicans will still have just enough of the Christmas staple for their dinners.

"The demand has been steady right through the year but the demand is up. Christmas still merry, I don't see that changing it. Jamaicans will have a Merry Christmas same way," Bernard declared. He theorised that next Christmas, goat and sheep farmers will be able to meet the high demands associated with the festive season.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Lloyd Weise, operator of Lloyd Weise and Son. The butcher added that the sale of the meat has been doing fairly well, especially in the week leading up to Christmas. According to Weise, some of his customers are vegetarians.

"I can't complain at all because the customers have been coming in since week. It's a long holiday and people a come in. The thing about this time a di year is that all people who don't eat meat will eat it. Vegetarian come here and buy meat at Christmas and all Rasta come and buy pork leg. Ram goat meat a sell hard although a $1,500 and over for it," he said.

Teena Miller, who has been purchasing her meat from Weise for over three decades, said while the price of mutton is above her pockets, she will be purchasing several other proteins.

"A big cooking mi a do fi about 15 persons. So I am buying roast pork, corn pork, goat head and belly, salt fish and oxtail. Is from 1990 I have been buying here. In fact, my mother used to buy from his father right at this spot, then when his father died he took over and we continued business here," Miller said.