By Yared Seyoum
As Ethiopia's Christian community makes final preparations to celebrate Easter this weekend, many families have been increasingly worried about how rising inflation may impact their ability to enjoy longstanding culinary traditions. Inflation across the country has accelerated sharply over the past year due to a confluence of factors including global supply chain disruptions, high fuel costs, and ongoing political and economic instability domestically.
With the costs of basic goods rising rapidly, consumers feared that staple food prices could see significant increases ahead of the most important holiday in the Orthodox calendar, further straining already stretched household budgets.
However, visits conducted over the past three days to Addis Ababa's major livestock and produce markets found that prices of most items have remained largely stable compared to Easter of 2023. This price stability has come as a major relief for communities who can now focus on the spiritual and social significance of the Easter celebrations rather than additional financial worries.
As visits to Addis Ababa's major markets found stable prices across most staple items, one household shared how costs fit within their planned holiday budget despite high general inflation.
Kassahun Tefera, a father of three residing in Gulele sub-city, said he found prices allowed sticking close to his allotted 25,000 birr Easter budget - comparable to outlays last December for Christmas. "I'm grateful everything balanced out to be about the same cost even with escalating living expenses elsewhere," he remarked.
Specifically, Kassahun noted sheep prices continuing around 13,000 birr and eggs being sold for around 15 birr per unit with chicken costing 1,000 birr "At those prices it's very manageable," Kassahun stated.
With budgets aligning closely with prior years despite inflation pressures compounding costs of utilities and other goods, families feel reassured of access to culinary traditions integral to celebrating Christ's resurrection.
"I was very concerned about affording our holiday meals, but the costs seem about the same. This allows us to properly honor Christ's resurrection," remarked shopper Wondimkun Abebe.
At Addis Ababa's largest poultry market, Sholla Gebeya, live chicken prices showed virtually no change from levels seen during last year's Easter festivities. The market is bustling daily with hundreds of farmers, wholesalers, and retailers exchanging chickens in various sizes.
Upon inspection, average chickens weighing between 1.5-2 kilograms were consistently priced at 800 birr each across different vendors, identical to 2023 rates. Big-sized chickens cost more than 1,000 birr.
Major integrated poultry producers with operations at Sholla Gebeya noted that while input costs such as animal feed have skyrocketed due to inflation, they have opted to absorb rising expenses within their own margins rather than pass the full increases directly to consumers.
"We must balance costs against demand, which peaks substantially during holidays like Easter and Christmas. If we increase retail prices too sharply, it may discourage families from purchasing, which affect our sales," explained retailers.
A short drive south and north of Sholla Gebeya lies the large municipal livestock market complexes of Qera and Shegolle. Together these busy trading hubs handle a major share of cattle, goat, and sheep sales supplying the capital’s meat demand. Upon touring the facilities earlier this week, prices appeared virtually unchanged from last year's pre-Easter levels, according to monitoring by BirrMetrics.
Live cattle averaging 200-300 kilograms were consistently selling within the range of 65,000-85,000 birr, slightly higher than 2023 but still deemed affordable per brokers. One buyer noted "a slight 10 to 15 percent increase reflects rising costs but retains accessibility if shares are split between neighbors as custom."
Indeed, a cluster of households had combined funds to purchase a single bull for slaughter and division amongst their households - an economy of scale easing the collective financial impact. Locals call such tradition “Qircha.”
Meanwhile, prime sheep and goats weighing 15-25 kilograms held at 7,500-25,000 birr depending on breed and quality grades. Producers acknowledged feed and transport inflation have compounded struggles from drought and conflict, yet they contained rate adjustments to avoid possible decline in demand.
Visits to vegetable markets across the capital found adequate holiday supplies and prices declining from 2023 levels. Staple seasonal items like onions flowed freely from farm belts around Addis thanks to bumper harvests.
Onions registered sharper declines, halving to 50 birr/kg from above 100 birr in prior weeks. As a fixture in dishes like doro wat, the substantial drop offsets other inflationary pressures for families according to customers. "Lower onion prices help offset rising costs of meat and other items, balancing overall costs so celebrations remain accessible," noted a mother while shopping at Sholla Gebeya.
Tiruneh Assefa, a researcher and economist, shared perspectives after observing market conditions in recent months. "Two important factors are continuing to exert downward pressures easing overall inflation," he began.
"First, general demand is slackening as households curb discretionary spending in response to stagnant real wages failing to keep pace with rising prices the last few years. Secondly, consumer behavior is adapting through shifts like trading down protein purchases from whole animals to cheaper meat cuts or switching proteins like replacing lamb with chicken."
Tiruneh believes these natural market adjustments signal how prolonged high inflation transforms behaviors, and the ability of upstream market players to anticipate changes. "Producers are cognizant that when inflation outstrips incomes over the long haul, consumption habits necessarily change," he noted.
Inflation decline goes in line with government’s effort to bring down inflation below 20 percent this year.