The recent decision by bakers in the country to increase the price of bread appears backed by compelling arguments. But consumers, who are apparently protesting the price hike, have cut down on bread consumption, leaving tales of low patronage among bakers and marketers. LAYI ADELOYE and RONKE BADMUS write
It is no longer news that on January 15, 2011, Nigerians woke up to realise that the price of the most staple food on the feeding menu in the country had risen by between 10 and 12 per cent.
The concern among the citizenry is the various dimensions the increase will have on the lives of the people. Our correspondents attempted a panoramic survey of the recent development during the week, with results showing that polity, which appeared unprepared for the new price increase, have decided to resist the increase through a general boycott of the staple food.
The Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria had a fortnight ago announced plans to increase the cost of bread across the country by 10 per cent. They had fixed January 15,2011, as the commencement date. The reason given included the increase in the prices of flour and sugar. According to them, the increase in prices would also continue as the price of these materials and resources increase over time.
The National President, MBCN, Chief Bayo Folarin, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday, said that the association took the decision after several attempts to intimate the government of their plight had failed to produce results. He said the body had earlier informed the government about the recent increases in the prices of flour and sugar, stressing that its appeals to the government on the need to remove the Value Added Tax on bread, alongside import duties on flour achieved no results.
He said the price increase on the various sizes of bread became imperative as a result of the sharp price increases placed on flour and sugar by local manufacturers in the last two weeks. According to him, a 50-kilogramme bag of flour that sold for N5,000 a fortnight ago is now N5,350, while a bag of sugar, which wasN9,320 has moved up to N10,270 at present.
However, a survey conducted by our correspondents during the week showed that there might be more dimensions to the price increase than the usual whims of profiteering employed by bakers in the past. But notwithstanding the merits of the bakers’ arguments, there appeared to have been a decisive protest from the people, most of whom have abandoned bread in the past five days.
For bakers and retailers, business has been generally dull, as people seemed to have shunned its patronage. Retailers around Egbeda, Iyana Ipaja and Ikeja Central Bus stop said they had had to cut down on the volume of bread received from bakers on account of low patronage.
According to a bread bakery owner, Mr. Lasisi Abdullahi, the rising in price of bread will surely affect production in the sense that the quantity produced will reduce as there will not be enough bread in circulation.
He said the process may definitely “lead to bread scarcity or shortage.”
He added that the association had spoken with some flour millers in the country on the need for them to reduce the price of flour, which constitutes about 75 per cent of the material used in baking bread.
Although, the increase in prices took effect from January 15, 2011, the implication of the 10 per cent increase has been that retailers have cut down on volumes of purcahes from bakers, while bakers have been suffering from a lack of business. But the impact on individual families, whose members have been hooked on bread, has yet to be determined, as some parents may not be able to resist much longer, especially with pestering demand from their children. The survey revealed that the effect has been biting on all sides.
A bread seller, Ms. Juliana Adelakun, told our correspondent on Wednesday that her approach would be to reduce the quantity of bread she took from the bakery daily. “It will also reduce profit because sellers will buy less,” she said.
A bread consumer, Mrs. Bola Babalola, said, “Increase in the prices of bread is insignificant to me because bread is the fastest food you can get anytime and any day. So, if the price is raised, it may not reduce the level at which I take bread. I think the only people it will affect are the bread vendors and the very poor families.”
A psychologist, Mr. Dapo Obe, said that the increase in the price of materials, like flour and sugar world always provoke price increase in staple food items, likes cake, small chops and bread, among others.
“But the demand on food such as bread may not be affected because it is a kind of food that everybody likes. In fact, some people cannot do without it in a day,” he said.
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