Feed millers are struggling with the rising cost of maize due to a shortage in supply.
The feed millers report that their production capacity has dropped from 1,000 metric tonnes to 700 metric tonnes, a direct result of ongoing droughts in the northern and middle belt of Ghana.
The feed millers explained that maize, which accounts for about 55 percent of the raw materials used in producing poultry feed, has seen a significant price hike.
A 50kg bag that previously sold for GH¢ 200 has now risen to approximately GH¢360 in a short time.
They express frustration that, despite this sharp increase in cost, they are unable to pass the burden onto poultry farmers. The Executive Secretary of the Association of Feed Millers of Ghana, Eric Manteaw, shared these concerns with Citi Business News.
“Unfortunately, we are unable to transfer that cost onto the poultry farmers who are customers. So we absorb it, and I think in the last eight months, we’ve been able to only go up by about 8% in prices as we absorb most of these shocks the past couple of months.
“In the past two months, I think we’ve been working closely with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in finding ways to mitigate that from happening, and we found a lot of support from the ministry. I know they are working on acquiring drought-resistant seedlings from CSIR who are currently working on that, “he noted.
Some maize dealers interviewed by Citi News also voiced concerns over the rising costs and emphasized the need for the government to address the drought in the northern region.
Gafaru Iddrisu said: “I believe the shortage of maize is also due to the excessive demand of maize where people from North and other parts of the country come to Ejwira. I believe it is likely to increase in the next two weeks. Some sell the 100kg bag at about GH¢1, 150 while others go for Ghc 1500. There are situations where people hoard maize and release them during scarcity. ”
“We urgently need government assistance, especially in addressing the depreciation of the cedi against major currencies like the dollar and the CFA. We used to experience a significant increase in customer traffic due to the rising cost of maize, but now the narrative has changed. We urge the government to take effective measures to address these issues, particularly in this election year,” Rubaba Shaibu, who has been selling grains for about 35 years, noted.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, Isaac Awuzah has called on the government to lower high import duties on maize, allowing for more imports to help bridge the supply gap in the country.
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