The Abuja Master Bakers and Caterers Association of Nigeria has appealed to flour millers to reduce the price of flour to ease the burden on bread bakers in the country.
Mr Nura Musa, Public Relations Officer of the association, made the appeal in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
“We appeal to millers to adjust the price of flour to reflect the present exchange rate of the naira to the dollar,’’ he said.
Musa explained that the high cost of flour has negatively impacted on the productivity and profitability of bread business.
According to him, many bakers have closed down their business due to high price of flour.
He said bakers now buy a bag of flour for between N10, 200 and N11, 300, stressing that this was the same price it was sold when the naira was exchanged for N500 per dollar.
“Now that the naira has appreciated against the dollar at N353 to the dollar, we expect flour millers to reduce the price of a bag of flour from its present price,’’ he said.
He said the price ought to be between N9, 500 and N10, 000 as against the current price of N10, 200 to N11, 200.
The public relations officer said the association had met with the flour millers but the meeting did not yield any positive results.
He said the prices of other raw materials, such as sugar, salt, margarine, edible oil and yeast had reduced drastically in the market.
Musa called on the Federal Government to assist the bakers remain in business, claiming that some of them had opted for other more rewarding businesses while some have become commercial motorcyclists.
