The price of holiday beef Kircha (shared ox slaughtering) facilitated through digital platforms and online channels has surged significantly, with a standard share that previously sold for an average of 10,000 Birr now reaching up to 30,000 Birr, reports indicate.
Digital practices initially began with a single standard Kircha share priced at around 10,000 Birr on average, but the escalation of prices has now intensified to reach unprecedented levels. Due to changing market conditions, increased prices for well-fed oxen have pushed premium holiday shares to between 18,000 and 30,000 Birr.
Industry experts explain that this price inflation directly reflects upstream costs from regional livestock markets, rising feed prices, and improved transportation logistics costs.
While this year's New Year celebrations in Addis Ababa and other cities are being supported by digital technology from cattle slaughtering to daily trade, severe price inflation and growing concerns over cultural erosion have accompanied the trend.
Although the Kircha system conducted via Telegram channels, Facebook groups, and mobile applications over recent years has drawn widespread public attention, this year's market financial balance and dramatic price increases have become major talking points.
Despite the growing popularity of digital Kircha, this year's market faces stiff economic challenges, Capital newspaper reported.
Customer demand has reportedly declined compared to previous years, primarily driven by high inflation in cattle prices alongside concurrent New Year household expenditures, such as private school registration fees and uniform purchases.
Digital Kircha has proven to be a vital bridge for busy urban professionals and residents navigating apartment and condominium living, helping to alleviate time constraints.
In Addis Ababa, where traditional slaughtering grounds are absent, long working hours, and heavy traffic bottlenecks make home-delivered Kircha a major relief, the trend has nevertheless sparked debate over whether it slowly erodes Ethiopia's traditional holiday celebration and social cohesion.
However, digital Kircha organizations note that alongside their digital capabilities, they retain traditional supervisors and elders to manage the process, while also offering customers the opportunity to visit their processing centers to observe the procedures firsthand.
