Andre Perez: Smaller Bakers Feeling the Pinch

Minister of Blue Economy Andre Perez, whose family owns and operates a bakery in San Pedro, has also chimed in on the cabinet decision surrounding the cost of bread. Currently, the control price of sixteen-ounce slice bread retails at one dollar and fifty-cents. Perez says that the data is showing that it will have to increase, especially with the cost of wheat going up on the global market.

Andre Perez

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy

“Government is acutely aware of the plight of the bakers and in terms of the loaf bread sixteen-ounce. And we need to make clear as well that this is only strictly for the loaf of bread sixteen-ounce. But I did raise the matter, the concern that it is the smaller bakers are the ones that are feeling it because those smaller bakeries are the ones producing sixty seventy percent of the sixteen-ounce bread, particularly in the city of Belize. And I think that the consideration is that it is very hard to having an increase in the bread to a dollar and seventy-five still needs to be looked at right now. Cabinet did not say that it is confirmed, we will keep it like that. What they did is ask for some more time to keep it at one fifty for the protection of the consumers. But taking in mind the plight of the bakers and this is where we are doing some studies in how we can work together. However, we are also aware of the rising cost of wheat. As you know in the U.S. the production of wheat is having a problem because they had a dry winter and also a very wet weather that is affecting the production of wheat. That is expected to rise the price of wheat. And of course the war in Ukraine because Ukraine is a massive producer of wheat. And by all accounts the price of flour may go up by the next month or so.”