Bread Scarcity Looms As Bakers Pegs Date To Begin Strike

Bread producers threaten strike over bakery materials’ price hike
..NAFDAC, SON, NESREA have turned the bakers into money making machine

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that due to the extraordinary rise in bakery supplies and the federal government’s disregard for this issue, bread manufacturers and caterers threatened to stop offering their services on Friday across the country.

They said that the price of flour, sugar, and other ingredients needed in the bread industry had escalated beyond the means of many bakers in a communiqué released by their national organization, the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria.

In the communiqué, which was released following the National Executive Council meeting of the organization in Abuja, and made available to our correspondent on Friday, the bakers announced that they would down tools starting July 13, 2022.

They also indicated that attempts to gain government action in the situation had failed since the relevant ministries, departments, and government organizations had not responded favorably.

The communiqué, signed by the association’s executives, led by its National President, Mansur Umar, stated that the council reviewed the “neglect of the Federal Government in addressing the challenges facing our sector as captured in our letters acknowledged by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria and unproductive intervention of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Increase in prices of bakery materials especially flour and sugar having reached unprecedented levels, for example, flour is now between N25,000 and N27,500, so also other ingredients.

“The National Wheat Cultivation Committee already constituted is yet to be inaugurated after over one year. NAFDAC, SON, NESREA have turned the bakers into money making machine by charging our members outrageous levies even at this very challenging moment.

FURTHER READING

Consequently, the NEC in session resolved that all zones, state, Local Governments and units of our association should commence full mobilisation of our members nationwide to embark on withdrawal of services starting from Wednesday July 13, 2022 for an initial period of two weeks.”

The, however, noted that its “members should await further directives.”

This came as it was gathered that the hike in bakery materials was what led to the recent increase in the cost of bread and other items produced from flour

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