By Regina Agana Akantiba
As the global economic crunch takes a toll on businesses, industries and services, the bakery industry is not left out, as prices of baking products keep rising at the expense of high inflation rates.
Regina Agana Akanteba engages some bakers in Accra to ascertain how they have been surviving.
According to the bakers, business was booming until harsh economic challenges emerged. The bakers believe things could have been better but the increase in prices of goods and services which has been exacerbated by hikes in fuel prices have taken a toll on bread. The Russia-Ukraine war has also been another factor, the two countries are the main producers of wheat and flour in the world. They said, the situation has compelled them to also increase prices of their products or reduce the sizes of their products, especially bread, but are still incurring loss.
”When they increase the products and you also try to increase or reduce the size then it becomes a problem. They complain bitterly and some even refuse buying. I’m a Ghanaian if I can’t do business here then where can I do?”, a baker said.
” Everytime they increase flour, sugar, margarines and all our products, this is affecting the bakery industry. I have people that I work with, they make a living out of it and if because of inflation all these people will become jobless. Do imagine the havoc this is causing”, another baker asserts.
Popular bread brands such as A1,FC,BB, Maa Reggi, Daily and Value bread have increased prices of products ranging from 8 cedis to 13 cedis per loaf that was sold between 5 cedis and 10 cedis. Though some have increased the prices, the size of break remains the same.
Some consumers of bread are complaining about the recent increment in prices of bread and called on government to address the situation
”Last week I went to buy 1 cedi bread and the shopkeeper insulted and sacked me from her shop.This one something must be done”.
”At least if you are working, there should be something for you to save, but now due to the so-called inflation you can’t even save anything”.
”Now the economy is very very hard, so now schoolchildren can’t buy bread for 1 cedi”, a parent noted.
The bakers lamented that the situation is crippling their businesses, and have urged consumers to be considerate when increasing the prices or reducing the sizes of their products.