For the second time in two months this year, the prices of bread have been increased by bakers in Lagos, the first was in June and the second came on Wednesday, as the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN) announced another increase in the prices of the staple food by 20 per cent, they earlier increased by 10 per cent.
The Chairman of AMBCN, Lagos chapter, Prince Jacob Adejorin had in June said that the price increase was not authorised by the association, however, the increases were not reverted to the old prices.
The prices were increased from N200 to N250 and N300 respectively, while the unsliced one popularly known as ‘Agege bread’ moved from N100 to N120 and N150 and others from N150 to N200 and N220 depending on the size.
It will be recalled that bakers had earlier threatened in January to increase the prices in protest of the increase in the price of baking flour by the millers nationwide, who had then raised the price per bag of flour by 10 per cent with effect from January 6, 2016.
According to the National Secretary of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Mansur Umar, a bag which sold for about N6, 300 went up to between N6, 800 and N7, 000 depending on the area.
Umar said the association, in its recent meeting in Sagamu, Ogun State expressed surprise at the increase in all flour brands by the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria. He said the millers did not put into consideration the fact that wheat prices fell “to an all-time low in the international market a few months ago” without the millers adjusting their prices in consonance with the drop.
He noted that rather, it was engrossed in one sales promo or the other.
Meanwhile defending the Wednesday increase, Prince Jacob Adejorin, said: “After serious consideration with the price of baking ingredients sky rocketing all the time most especially flour, sugar, diesel for generators, salt yeast, kerosene, polythene bags and series of local government levies to mention but a few, have compelled us to increase the bread prices as done to other consumer goods.
“A few months ago, a bag of Flour was sold for N6, 000 while sugar was sold for about N7, 000, but as at this morning (Monday morning), a bag of flour is N11, 000 and sugar N15, 000.
The bakers will no longer cope with this situation hence the decision to increase the prices by about 20 per cent across board.” Prince Adejorin called on the Federal Government to give some concessions to the flour millers in foreign exchange allocation and granting them some waivers on taxes and levies in order to stop the incessant increase in flour prices so as to keep bakers in business. He appealed to consumers to bear with the bakers at this time.
Saying members of the association will continue to produce “good quality bread at affordable prices.” The bakers also called on the Federal Government to give some concession to the flour millers in the country, and grant them waivers on payment of taxes and levies in order to stop the incessant increase of the price of flour
The bakers also pleaded that “we urge the flour millers also to have bakers in mind whenever any increase in price is being considered, as we are the end users of their products.”
The Lagos bakers also warned that their members would no longer tolerate any future increase in the price of flour without being properly informed ahead of time, he said.
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