Very high prices, deemed unaffordable given household purchasing power, led many families to abstain. In Thiès, where, for Tabaski 2026, livestock markets, particularly in Séw-Khaye and Touba-Toul, saw an abundant supply of several thousand sheep, the influx of customers clashed with soaring prices, leaving significant unsold stocks after the festival.

The main reasons for this situation had led the relevant authorities and some citizens' organizations to raise the alarm beforehand about the heavy financial burden on households in Thiès. This situation is a source of concern for Ismaël Sow, president of the National House of Livestock Breeders of Senegal, who lamented the significant number of unsold sheep observed after Tabaski in Thiès. "Many sheep remained in the hands of their owners despite a large number of livestock in the markets," explained Mr. Sow.

A widespread lack of livestock sales in the region

From Thiès to Khombole, passing through the gigantic international livestock market of Séw-Khaye, considered the largest livestock market in Senegal, in the commune of Ngoundiane (department of Thiès), the focal point of several thousand fathers of families, and other important points of landing of sheep from all over the sub-region, famous livestock markets like Touba-Toul, a place of choice for the sale of livestock during major Muslim holidays, sheep have not been well sold this year.

At the Thiès racecourse sales point, a record number of unsold animals were observed compared to last year after the festival. As a result, almost all the breeders who came from other areas will have to return home with their herds. These unsold animals are primarily purebred sheep.

In the aftermath of Tabaski, with the losses recorded by the sector during this festival of sacrifice, the scale of the disaster is such that the breeders are pleading for the appointment of a minister specifically dedicated to livestock farming, capable of providing concrete answers to the structural difficulties faced by the actors in the sector.

The deputy-mayor of Ngoundiane (Séw-Khaye), Mbaye Dione, reporting on the difficulties encountered by the population during the festival, emphasizes: "Despite the abundance of sheep in the markets, sellers struggled to find buyers due to the economic difficulties that many households are experiencing."

Many citizens are highlighting the economic difficulties faced by Senegalese households during the Tabaski period. They cite increasing financial pressure linked to the widespread rise in prices of basic necessities. This situation is exacerbated, they say, by the soaring prices of sheep in the markets, making the religious sacrifice difficult for many families to afford.