All is not well with bread consumers in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, as they have continued to lament the recent rise in the price of bread considered the cheapest, common man’s food in Nigeria. A random sampling of prices of different sizes of bread in Port Harcourt, shows that the product has increased by between 30-45 percent.
A consumer told National Point: “The sharp increase in the prices of bread at this point in time is too outrageous and unexpected. It is done without consideration to the poor man.”
Another concerned consumer said: “This situation is totally wrong, unacceptable and calls for concern of all.” He described the increase as heartless, adding that it has thrown many bread eating families of the staple food out of their reach.
A man simply identified himself as Peter Nyekachi called on the nation’s authority to begin to address the negative economic trend in the country with utmost urgency to save the country and her citizens from imminent catastrophe, stressing that suffering and hunger have become unbearable in a richly blessed nation like Nigeria.
Bakeries and bread sellers in some parts of Port Harcourt, are also crying over the situation, saying that they are not finding things easy.
“I have been in this business of bread selling for years, but honestly, I have never seen a situation like this. All the items used in producing bread have gone up in price and this is also affecting us adversely,” one of them complained, noting that the entire burden of the price hike is heaped on the consumers.
“I am really thinking of changing my line of business, because I no longer make enough sales since prices of bread went up,” another bread dealer bemoaned. Speaking recently, chairman of Master Bakers Association, Rivers State chapter, Mr. Chidi Emmanuel-Orlu said members of his association are considering withdrawing their services in order to get government intervention to the worrisome rising cost of baking materials in the country.
Emmanuel-Orlu traced the major cause of the rise in the price of bread to a number of factors, including foreign exchange, rising price of diesel, multiple taxation, among others. Also, a proprietor of a bakery in Port Harcourt, Cyril Okeke feared that with the speed with which baking materials are rising, bread will soon be out of the reach of ordinary people.
He urged the government to do something fast to redress the situation. “Everything used in the production of bread, including flour, yeast, sugar, oil, salt, have increased to between 200 and 300 percent of their original cost,” he stated.
A lady who sells bread and akara ( bean cake), popularly known as ‘Mama Akara’ said, “Before now, I used to buy different sizes of bread to support my business of akara, and I will sell all but since the increase in the prices of bread, I only buy few bread,” maintaining that if the situation continues many poor Nigerians will face very serious food shortage.
