Nigerians will pay more for bread in the coming days as bakers in some states have announced price increases to cover the high cost of ingredients.
Kogi Master Bakers said on Sunday they would resume production after weeks of strike action, but would raise the prices of their products.
The association had joined on Wednesday the national strike declared by its national body to demand government intervention in the prices of the materials used in the production of bread.
“Although the federal government has not yet responded to our pleas and demands, we are satisfied that we have sent at least one message hoping for a positive result”, Gabriel Bamidele-Adeniyi, president, Master Bakers and Catering Association of NigeriaKogi Chapter, told the Nigerian News Agency (NAN).
“Unfortunately, when we resume production on July 25, bread prices will definitely increase by 20 percent.
“A loaf of N200 will cost between N240 and N250, the one of N500 will cost N600, the one of N600; N750, the one for N700 will cost N880 and the one for N800; between N980 and N1,000 respectively
“We want the public to know that the new increase in the prices of stable bread is not our doing, but rather the increase in the prices of the basic products that we use in the production of bread.
“We want the government to ensure that the prices of imported yeast, sugar and flour are drastically reduced so that only three companies have the license to import them.
“Unfortunately, these three firms are monopolizing the prices of sugar, yeast and flour to the detriment of Nigerian bakers,” he lamented.
Mr. Bamidele-Adeniyi appealed to the government to ensure that the sugar company in Bashuta began production and also provide the opportunity for members to obtain the license to import and obtain loans for better bread production.
Bakers in Abuja said last week that they had decided not to take part in the strike because they preferred to engage with the government to find solutions. However, they warned that they would suspend production if that failed.
In Cross River, bakers said they were raising prices and reducing production quantities amid the high cost of ingredients and production.
This was revealed by a leader of the state group Master Bakers, Thomas Odey, in an interview with NAN on Monday.
Mr. Odey said that the Cross River master bakers did not join the national body in its two-week retirement, but instead resolved to increase the price and reduce the amount of production to avoid waste.
The director of Canaan Delight Bakery Nigeria Limited said withdrawing the service was not good for the system as many average Nigerians would suffer as bread was a staple product in the country.
“The expected increase is not even enough, this is because the price of all means of production has increased, from condiments to diesel and all other raw materials.
“This is a global problem that is not unique to Nigeria or baking materials, but the price of all food has increased significantly.
“In my contacts with the big flour mills in the country, they will tell you that the Russian/Ukrainian crisis, the exchange rate and the issue of foreign exchange supply pose great challenges and increase the price of wheat flour,” he said.
Speaking further, Mr. Odey noted that the use of cassava and potato flour was one option, but the challenge was that the specific species of cassava needed for good flour production were not sufficient in Nigeria.
He said that the normal cassava that was common in Nigeria was bitter when used to produce flour, while potato cultivation was still largely at a subsistence level, making production insufficient in the country.
“In my training with Molino Harinero I discovered that they mixed cassava flour with wheat to obtain what they used, but the type of cassava they used was a species that we need to develop in large quantities.
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“Potato flour is also good and can be combined with wheat flour, but the challenge is that it is not enough in the country for industrial purposes and it is a seasonal crop.
“Nigeria needs to channel its resources and mindset to develop agriculture and stop lip service because if we continue to rely on imported foreign raw materials to save our few industries, it will never help us,” he said.
Residents complain in Enugu
Last week, Enugu residents denounced the four-day warning strike launched by bakers as the current price of the product had become unaffordable.
Some of the residents, who spoke to NAN in Enugu on Sunday, said that the warning strike had affected many bread consumers because it ended up causing the price of the product to rise even more.
Some bread vendors said that the price of bread had risen by 30 percent following the strike by the Nigerian Bakers Association.
A bread seller, Samson Igwe, said the price would rise further statewide after the warning strike due to the high cost of raw materials used to bake bread.
Mr. Igwe said that although the price had increased, he did not feel that his customers would stop patronizing him because many people still ate bread every day.
“My clients will only reduce the amount of bread they buy, but it will be difficult for them to stop eating bread every day,” he said.
Another bread vendor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the price increase would affect eating patterns in many households.
According to him, many families depend on bread for breakfast and as a snack between meals.
“With another increase in the price of bread, many families will find it difficult to feed themselves, as many have reduced the number of loaves of bread they buy from me due to the increase in price,” he said.
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An Achara Layout resident, Nancy Okwuchi, said the strike would drive prices up even more, affecting the cost of food in many households.
“Sometimes when there is no food in the house, I make tea and bread for my children while they wait for me to cook.
“But with the increase and increase, it will be difficult to feed children bread as usual,” said Ms. Okwuchi.
Arthur Ude, a father of four children, said that bread remains a staple food, while calling on the authorities to guarantee the livelihood of bakeries in the country.
NAN reports that there was a 30 percent increase in the price of loaves of bread before the announcement of the warning strike, as bread that sold for N300 now costs N400 and bread that sold for N100 now costs N150.
Reasons for the strike included the relentless rise in baking material prices and the need to pressure the Federal Government to stop charging a 15 percent wheat development tax on wheat imports.
Others include the need for NAFDAC to revise downwards the N154,000 fine charged to bakeries for late renewal of certificates.
They also want members to have access to grants and soft loans that the Central Bank of Nigeria provides to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).