Sacrificial Animal Crisis Among the Algerian Community in France
Echorouk’s visit to neighbourhoods with a significant presence of Algerian expatriates in the French city of Lyon revealed that the Algerian community residing in this European country is experiencing a real crisis of sacrificial animals due to high prices.
The price of sacrificial animals reached record levels, sometimes reaching 700 euros per sheep. This has prompted many to refrain from purchasing them, especially in light of the economic crisis and inflation that have been ongoing for years.
In a conversation with several members of the Algerian community in the square de la Guillotière, near the Café d’Algerie, Echorouk revealed that many of them have refrained from celebrating Eid al-Adha this year for several reasons, mostly related not only to prices but also to logistical factors.
Given the price crisis in France and also for logistical reasons, many members of the Algerian community in Lyon have begun sending money to Algeria to purchase sacrificial animals and donate them to the poor, according to what many expressed during a meeting with them in the square de la Guillotière.
What caught our attention at a butcher shop not far from the square de la Guillotière, which sells halal red and white meat, was a sign outside the shop written in clear Arabic script, stating, “Reserve your sheep for Eid al-Adha now… here.”
When we approached the butcher shop and asked about this sign, its owner, an Algerian-Tunisian whose father is originated from El Kala in El Tarf wilaya (eastern Algeria), responded that the sign dates back to last year, when the butcher shop organized the slaughter and distribution of sacrificial animals to members of the community in Lyon and nearby areas.
Houcine Mahdi added that the initiative was not repeated this year due to the record-breaking price’s increase began during the COVID-19 health crisis and was exacerbated by the Russian-Ukrainian war, resulting in a significant increase in feed prices, including those of sheep.
The speaker explained that the price of a slaughtered and skinned sheep, delivered to its owner after the Eid prayer, ranged from 200 euros to 280 euros, including the internal organs (liver, tripe, intestines, etc.).
According to him, given the current circumstances, the price of a slaughtered and gutted sacrificial animal has jumped to 500 to 600 euros, depending on the weight, and sometimes even as high as 700 euros.
He commented, “Currently, we pay 13 euros per kilogram for French sheep at the slaughterhouse, excluding taxes, and around 22 euros at the butchery, while a few years ago it was 16 to 17 euros.”
“These prices are related to French sheep, which are highly chosen by members of the community due to the quality and taste of their meat,” he added.
According to the Echorouk source, the butcher shop previously sold up to 300 sheep during Eid, but given the current crisis and rising prices, it was decided to halt the operation.
In this regard, he explained, “I completely understand those who have been reluctant to purchase a sacrificial animal, especially for families of six or seven members, since the head of the family does not have a permanent job.”
The butcher’s owner revealed a logistical factor that also contributed to the community’s reluctance to purchase sacrificial animals. This relates to the relocation of the slaughterhouse from Lyon, despite its large Muslim population, to Saint-Étienne, approximately 100 kilometres away.
Houcine Mahdi concluded that the process would proceed smoothly after the Eid prayer, given the slaughterhouse’s location in Lyon. However, now that the slaughterhouse has been moved to Saint-Étienne, expatriates are incurring additional costs, which they must pay into the final price of the sacrificial animal. Therefore, we have decided not to hold the process at the butcher shop this year.
