Recently, the price of bread has increased drastically due to the high cost of raw materials that are being used to produce the finished products. This increment that started since April is still affecting the sales because a lot of buyers have complained bitterly.
Mrs Fatima Tahir, the Assistant Sales Manager of the Imperial bakery located at zone 4 area in Abuja while speaking with Weekly Trust explains that the increment of prices of bread was due to the high cost of sugar, flour and diesel in the market because these are the major raw materials they need in the bakery.
‘‘We used to buy a bag of sugar for about 10,200.00 and flour for about 5,200.00 but presently, the price of sugar has increased to 11,200.00 while flour price in the market is now 6,200.00.’’ she said.
Mrs Fatima added that despite the increment in the price, there has not been any noticeable short fall in purchasing of the finished product because there are a lot of consumers of bread and costumers that still buy bread notwithstanding the increment.
“A loaf of bread used to go for 200.00 but now it has gone up to 250.00” she disclosed.
One road side bread seller who identifies himself as Ismail Umar popularly known as Baba Mai shayi said bread and shayi (tea) business is still moving well for him not minding the increment of prices of bread loafs. “There is no doubt that the high cost has generated complains from costumers but they still buy the bread even as it has increased in price,” he said.
This is because most of the people that patronise him are bachelors and they are always impatient to prepare proper meals at home before leaving for their various offices in the morning, they end up settling for Baba Mai sayi’s loaf combined with tea and fried eggs to go with.
Mr Salihu Ibrahim a security guard who works with one of the banks at Utako, complained that he patronizes most of these roadside bread sellers because he leaves his home as early as 6.00am in the morning to resume office and the only available food he can get as his breakfast is bread.
‘‘Despite the increment in bread price, I still buy because it is the easiest food for me to get and I am just used to it. The increment cannot stop me from buying bread but I hope and pray the price is reduced,” he said.
Members of the Association of Master Bakers of Nigeria, said last week, that they have commenced a one-week warning strike to protest the high cost of ingredients used in producing bread. The strike which started and ended last week was associated with the price hike.
The Rivers State Chairman of the Association, Mr Kolawole Adelegan who led other members on a peaceful protest said, their grievances stem from the high cost of raw materials such as flour as the main ingredient in producing bread and the supportive materials like sugar that have gone beyond the reach of an average baker, adding that the situation would ultimately increase the price of bread.
The chairman explained that the association was concerned about the effect of price increase on bread which would further impoverish the common man on the street and urged the government to urgently address the issue.
According to him, “Flour which was sold at N5, 100 last year has risen to N6,400 while sugar has increased from N8,00 to N12, 000 which puts our members in a difficult situation in beating the cost of producing bread.”
‘When the flour millers increased the price, we were not even aware, therefore, as at now, we have withdrawn our services with effect from today for the next one week, we want government to positively look into the matter, so that we shall not resume after the strike and increase prices of bread”, the chairman said.
This, it could be recalled was the basis on which the price of the staple was hiked a fortnight ago. But Weekly Trust checks revealed that despite calling off the strike by the bakers association, the price of the commodity still remains. However, our market survey shows that the prices of some of the raw materials, especially in Abuja have still not decreased.
