Price of bread hits N400 in Edo

As scarcity of bread bites harder in Edo State consumers now spend between N350 and N450 to buy various sizes of loaves.

BusinessDay reports that the scarcity is occasioned by a strike embarked upon by the state chapter of Association of Bread Bakers.

Members of the association embarked on the strike over the threat by bread sellers in the state not to patronise them following an increase in price by the bread bakers.

Bread sellers had protested against the increase of price of loaf of bread by N20 to N30 by the bakers, a development that made the sellers to issue a boycott threat.

The bread bakers had advanced hike in production cost, especially the cost of buying wheat, sugar, other baking ingredients and electricity, as reasons for the increment.

The one-week-old strike has resulted to complete disappearance of the product in the state, especially Benin City, the state capital, which is the worst hit.

A drive around Benin City metropolis showed that areas known for the selling of bread products were completely deserted, as sellers have no product to sell.

Investigation revealed that a big size of loaf of bread that hitherto sold for N300 now costs between N400 and N450, depending on the brand.

A medium size that was before now sold for N200 now goes for N350, while the smallest size that was between N50 and N60 now sells for N100.

The few loaves available in the market are those allegedly produced by those that are non-members of the association.

However, efforts by Abdul Oroh, the state commissioner for commerce and industry, to put an end to the lingering strike had not produced the expected results.

IDRIS UMAR MOMOH