This week, a fifth of the world’s population will potentially celebrate the religious holiday of Eid-el-Kébir. In a country like Senegal, it is estimated that nearly 810,000 rams are sacrificed on this day. Also called Tabaski in West Africa, this Muslim holiday is a major event in the calendar of many countries in the region. It marks the commemoration ceremony of the sacrifice of a ram by Abraham in place of his son. Beyond the religious dimension, Tabaski represents important economic, social and symbolic issues.

What are these issues? What criteria determine the market and symbolic value of purchased sheep? To answer these questions, we conducted a survey in the region of Saint-Louis, Senegal, in 2021.

The price of sheep in Senegal has known a continuous increase for ten years. It is estimated that, in the space of ten years, the average price of a sheep has gone from 80,000 to 140,000 CFA francs (120 to 215 euros). Between 2020 and 2021, the study carried out in the Saint-Louis region showed a 6% increase in the average price on the markets. Several explanatory elements make it possible to understand such an increase.

First, the rise in prices can be explained by production-related factors. On the one hand, the costs of fattening sheep have increased due to the increase in the price of industrial feed and the scarcity of fodder. On the other hand, the proliferation of sheep diseases and the difficulty of accessing appropriate veterinary treatments have inflated the bill.

Secondly, the rise in prices is explained by the growing craze around Tabaski. The symbolic dimension of the purchase of sheep occupies a central place in many Senegalese families. Buying sheep is both a symbol of the family’s social prestige, a social duty and a religious rite.

Precise social codes frame the real (and supposed) price of the animal. For breeders, this event is one of the only chances to get a return on investment. Indeed, in the days and weeks preceding Tabaski, the price of sheep is on average significantly higher than the rest of the year. Thus, for breeders, this period is the ideal time to sell livestock.

Third, the surge in prices can also be explained by an increase in demand. The increase in the purchasing power of part of the population leads to an increase in prices on the market as a whole.

Ladoum, a category of sheep generally raised in large cities such as Dakar, Mbour, Thiès, Touba and Saint-Louis, is a perfect illustration of this price spike. This breed of sheep fetches high prices in the markets during the Tabaski. In 2018, a breeding male named Galactic was bought by the Galoya sheepfold for just over 52 million CFA francs, or more than 80,000 euros. This price, even if it is exceptional, illustrates well the value and the symbolic dimension of the purchase of sheep. In recent years, prices for Ladoums have fluctuated between 450,000 and 1,200,000 CFA francs (between 675 and 1,800 euros).

The ladoum, star sheep of Tabaski in Senegal: It’s a gift for the wealthy, a dream for the most modest, but the animal leaves no one indifferent in a country where sheep farming is a passion https: //t.co/wbiuTnuPoh

These prices appear all the more important in view of the average annual salary in Senegal (we do not have recent data on salaries, but the gross domestic product per capita is 840,736 CFA francs per year in 2021, or 1,280 euros ). For the majority of Senegalese, the purchase of sheep for Tabaski constitutes a major financial sacrifice. Many resort to diaspora money to afford it. Many families go into debt to ensure all the social obligations related to this holiday. This situation plunges many families into dynamics of impoverishment.

The Tabaski is thus a barometer which makes it possible to measure the economic difficulties of the Senegalese population.

When buying rams, wives and children accompany husbands to the market to choose the animal. Sellers offer women the rams with the highest market value.

Buyers must then arbitrate between the price of the sheep and the family prestige linked to the purchase of a “beautiful” ram. The symbolic dimension of the animal is also illustrated by the fact that families keep the most beautiful rams in front of their house. These bear witness to the social prestige of the family and the economic success of its members.

The value of a ram is characterized by specific criteria such as size, weight, color, posture, size and orientation of the horns and ears. What features are preferred?

According to the 400 consumers interviewed during our survey, white-colored rams are the most popular (this color would protect the owner from bad luck). Their sacrifice testifies to greater social prestige.

Criteria related to the size of the animal’s horns and tail are also taken into account. The size of the ears is particularly important, because it can be a criterion of religious nonconformity of the ram. The age of the ram is something to consider: it must be at least 12 months old. The choice of the animal according to this parameter is influenced by the women – they take into account the cooking time of the meat. Old rams require more cooking time, which can be restrictive for the organization of the party.

To sum up, the ideal sheep is large in size, white in color and of middle age. Large white rams trade at significantly higher prices, while older rams lose value.

The value of the animal is thus almost exclusively fixed according to the appearance of the ram. Criteria such as the quality of the meat, the use of antibiotics or even the health of the animal are only slightly considered. When choosing a sheep for Tabaski, symbolic criteria take precedence.

* Léo Delpy is a socio-economist in the Joint Research Unit “Animal, Health, Territories, Risks and Ecosystems” (UMR ASTRE), CIRAD.

** Mouhamadou Moustapha Sow, PhD Student, Gaston Berger University.