Bakers Federation: A 40 percent increase in bread is reasonable

While bread prices have risen across the country in recent days, the President of the Turkish Federation of Bakers, Halil İbrahim Balcı, made a statement on the rise in bread.

Stating that his priority is to determine a price ‘at a reasonable level that citizens can buy’, Balcı noted that in determining this, it is necessary to determine the best reasonable price so that merchants do not suffer.

Balcı stated that bread prices were officially updated 9 months before these increases, saying, “We believe that the 40 percent increase after 9 months is at a very reasonable level.”

EXPECTATION OF INTERVENTION IN FLOUR PRICES

Balcı also made a statement on the prices of flour, which is one of the main inputs for bakers, saying, “I believe that if there is an excessive increase in flour prices, the relevant ministries will take the necessary measures today, as they did in the past, and do the necessary work as in the past.”

Balcı said, “I think that what needs to be done to prevent unnecessary and excessive increase in flour prices, how it was intervened in the past, will be intervened again.”

NO OFFICIAL RATE, THE UNOFFICIAL PRICE CONTINUES

On the other hand, Balcı said that bread will be at 7.5 lira in March 2022; Recalling the rumors that it will increase to 10 lira in December 2022, he said: “We said it back then. Today we are in July 2023 and 210 grams of bread is 7.5 liras, 200 grams is 7 liras”.

However, these prices quoted by Balcı do not match the unofficial price hikes in some provinces.

There has not yet been a tariff increase regarding the prices of bread sold by bakers affiliated with both the Chamber of Craftsmen and the ITO in Istanbul. However, some bakers, citing their rising costs, reduced the price of 240 grams of bread to 230 grams and increased their price from 6 lira to 8 lira before the fee increase was introduced.