2 November 2007

KUALA LUMPUR: Consumers have to dig deeper into their pockets for bread. Starting yesterday, bread costs between 20 sen and 30 sen more per loaf.  

The increase in price has been attributed to the higher cost of enriched wheat flour, which jumped from RM1.80 to RM2.70 per kilo. 

The rise in prices was not announced and caught many consumers and even retailers by surprise. 

The price of mee has also gone up by 30% since last month. 

“In the case of white sandwich Gardenia bread, the price has gone up by 20 sen per loaf to RM2.10 from today (Thursday),” said Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Associations of Malaysia chairman Lean Hing Chuan yesterday. 

Muslim Sundry Shop and Mini Market Operators Association of Malaysia secretary-general Kamal Musthaffa said prices of various types of breads, including sandwich bread Hi5, as well as buns and biscuits, had gone up between 10% and 25% as of yesterday.  

In Putrajaya, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal warned wheat flour manufacturers against reducing production of general purpose flour, which is controlled at RM1.35 per kilo, in favour of enriched wheat flour which is more profitable. 

“The Government can allow a reasonable price increase for enriched wheat flour as the price in the global market had gone up by 70%,” he said, adding that by reasonable he meant an increase of only a few sen and not 150% profit. 

Shafie also said that for Deepavali the festive season price control scheme would be on for 15 days until Nov 15.