Shortage of maize has hit the Dormaa Central Municipality, Mr Munkaila Jawad, Dormaa Municipal Director of Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), has confirmed.

He said this had adversely affected the production of poultry feed by local manufacturers who had to rely on supplies from Cote d'Ivoire.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Dormaa Ahenkro, Mr Jawad said the phenomenon was not only peculiar to the Municipality but the entire Brong Ahafo Region.

Mr Jawad attributed the shortage to excessive rains experienced last year by local farmers.

"Plenty rains caused damage and destructions to the crops on farmlands. This also rendered some of the roads very unmotorable making it difficult for farmers to go to the farmlands to cart the harvested maize", he stated.

He said although his outfit had quality varieties of maize readily available for farmers and would-be farmers in the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, very few farmers were taking the advantage to collect seedlings from his outfit.

"Many of them would not come for the seedlings but prefer to apply their own seedlings which may not be helpful", he indicated.

The Municipal MOFA Director added that in arresting the situation, his outfit had been organising farmers’ fora to sensitise and create awareness about the availability of maize varieties at his outfit and how they can boost production.

Mr Dei Kusi, Vice President of Dormaa Poultry Farmers Association, corroborated the claims made by the MOFA Director and said he personally had to rely on supplies from Northern Ghana priced between Ghc73.00 and recently the price shot up to Ghc75. 00 for the production of feed mill.

"Maize ingredient is the main component in the preparation of the feed mill. Going without it means you can't produce feed for the poultry birds. The cost of producing feed mill has become so high as a result", he added.