Bread producers threaten strike over bakery materials’ price hike
By EDU ABADE, Business Editor
Bread producers and caterers, at the weekend, threatened to withdraw their services across the country due to the unprecedented increase in the price of bakery materials and Federal Government’s purported neglect of the matter.
In a communiqué issued by the national leadership of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN), the group stated that the cost of flour, sugar and other materials used in bakery business had increased beyond the reach of most bakers.
The communiqué, which was issued after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association in Abuja, and made available to The Trumpet on Friday, the bakers stated that they would down tools from July 13, 2022, if the situation persisted.
They also revealed that efforts to get the government’s intervention in the matter had been unsuccessful, as there had been no positive response from the concerned ministries, departments and agencies of government.
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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 machines by charging our members outrageous levies even at this very challenging moment.
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