THE PRICE of bread, pasta and confectionery are set to go up at the beginning of next year following further increases in the international price of wheat.
Flour Millers’ Association president Dinos Mitsides said the price of durum wheat was expected to increase by around 28 per cent, while the price of soft or strong flour was set to increase by seven to 10 per cent.
“Durum wheat is used to make pasta and durum flour to make traditional Cypriot bread, while strong flour is used to make sliced bread, white breads, baguettes and desserts,”
Mitsides told the Cyprus Mail.
Although the price increases had not yet been calculated, Mitsides said it was estimated that durum flour increase by £100 to £120 per tonne and strong flour would increase by £25 to £35 per tonne. This is the fourth price hike since the start of 2007, he said.
“The first increase was in January, then there was one in July, then in September and now this increase,” he said.
Mitsides said that durum flour will have gone up around 70-75 per cent over the year, while strong flour will have gone up about 60 per cent.
“This situation is something that concerns us because it is ongoing and we don’t know where it will end up. The increase of costs is very serious,” he said.
He said the price hikes were in line with international prices.
“Our increases are within reasonable boundaries but unfortunately as wheat prices increase, so must the price of wheat flour,” he said.
Zorpas Bakeries chairman Costas Zorpas said he did not know to what extent the flour increase would have a knock-on effect on the bakery chain’s products.
“The last time there were price increases we absorbed the difference and didn’t change our prices. Because we do not yet know what sort of increases there are going to be, we can’t say if it will affect our prices,” he said.
Zorpas pointed out that the last price increase per tonne had been considerable, but that the bakeries had maintained their retail prices.
“It’s our policy to absorb all the increases, but I don’t know if we can this time,” he said.
Whatever the outcome, news that flour was set to increase concerned consumers.
“Petrol is going up, milk is going up, bread is going up. Life is getting so expensive,” said Maria Andreou, 34. “I just don’t know what to think any more. It’s frightening. I can’t imagine not going without bread, so there’s really nothing I can do.”
Petros Themistocleous added: “I guess my sandwiches are going to be more expensive now. I guess that’s life. It’s getting expensive and I can’t say I’m happy, but there’s really not much I can do other than boycott bread, which I’ll never do because I can’t imagine a meal without it.”
