Bread Gaan Up; Let’s Understand Why

Bread has been a staple food for humans since time immemorial. On Monday, the price of a sixteen-ounce loaf of bread increased by twenty percent for Belizeans. How is this price increase affecting consumers that are already grappling with the increased cost of goods at the grocery store? And is there a cheaper and more desirable alternative to pack bread? In this week’s installment of Five Point Breakdown, News Five’s Paul Lopez takes a closer look at the regulated product and what the price increase means for consumers. Here is that report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The cost of a loaf of sixteen-ounce bread has increased from one dollar and seventy-five cents to two dollars and ten cents.

 

Some people may view the thirty-five cents increase as marginal. But for many, paying thirty-five cents more for this staple food further diminishes their purchasing power at the grocery store, as we found out from some shoppers.

 

Voice of: Belize City Resident 1

“I feel like it is kind of ridiculous you know. I mean dah like weh I always say, the cost of living is going up but your pay not going up any at all.”

 

Paul Lopez

“How often do you find yourself buying packed bread, is it a daily thing?”

 

Voice of Belize City Resident 1

“Not really because usually my girl would make flour tortilla and thing you know.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What you think would happen if they decide to carry it up a bit more?”

 

Voice of: Belize City Resident 1

“Might as well we start eat grass then, honestly, because it is ridiculous, it doesn’t make any sense.”

 

 

Voice of Belize City Resident 2

“My thoughts on that are we cant do anything about that. It is just life. We just have to hope that it gets better in a couple years or after the elections, that is all. It does affect a lot people, I guess maybe they could think about raising the pay so that they could help a lot of people manage with groceries and think, especially bread and other things up right now.”

 

 

 

Paul Lopez

“How often do you buy the pack bread, a day, every two day?”

 

Voice of Belize City Resident 2

“I would say every two days, because most of the time I put my hand in flour, so I would say every two days.”

 

 

 

 

 

We visited Mahogany Street to speak with residents in the Lake Independence community.  While there, we noticed several street vendors who were out selling creole bread and buns. On average, these vendors sell a loaf of bread from anywhere between one dollar and twenty-five cents to one dollar and fifty cents. Affordability is key.

 

Paul Lopez

“With the cost of things right now, your ingredients, how often do you consider raising your price?”

 

Aridiane Hoare, Creole Bread Vendor

“Well I just had an increase with the bun and I just heard the news and heard them saying that they want to raise sugar, so I am considering my customers and considering my business as well. So I will see how it goes if they do give the increase I might have to bump up, but if not, hey I just remain the same price.”

 

 

 

Sonia Usher, Creole Bread Vendor

“Wow, dah like as you turn things the go up and I really don’t want to raise prices on my things, because everybody the struggle same way.”

 

Paul Lopez

“How much do you sell your products for?”

 

 

Sonia Usher

“The bread dah one twenty-five, the bun dah one fifty, the johnny cake dah fifty cents, the powder bun da dollar.”

 

Paul Lopez

“At this price are you underpricing your product?”

 

Sonia Usher

“Yeah, and sometimes I don’t really sell out everything and I have to carry home some things.”

 

Paul Lopez

“How is it that you are able to sell bread and bun at one twenty-five and one fifty when the grocery store for example has the pack bread for two dollars and ten cents?”

 

 

 

 

Natasha Samuels, Creole Bread Vendor

“I think basically because the stores have the bags and remember they have to put words and everything behind them. Me dah just me one.”

 

 

 

 

 

Denise Flowers, Creole Bread Vendor

“I nuh the look for the biggity, if I make a small amount of money, a twenty, twenty-five I good with that, because that could buy me my thing, my lee kush kush, my lee hair, and fix my thing with my lee money.”

 

 

 

 

Unlike creole bread, the sixteen-ounce loaf of bread is subject to price control regulations. The Government of Belize regards it as a basic commodity that is essential to the diet of Belizean consumers. It was placed on a list of price-controlled goods to ensure it remains affordable. Price adjustments are therefore considered with detailed studies. Lennox Nicholson leads the decision-making process on behalf of the government.

 

 

 

 

Lennox Nicholson, Controller of Supplies, Supplies Control Unit

“I must tell you that we did a lot of work and had a lot of discussions with the bakers, and it is not a situation where the bakers provided us with information, and we merely accepted it. We actually looked at customs entries, we looked at records of what L.P.G. used to cost back then compared to now, cost of fuel, and we were able to verify the material submitted to us. So, the decision was taken that an adjustment upwards was necessary, but at the same time a seventy-five cents adjustment that was requested in the last consultation was simply something that the average consumer could not bear.”

 

 

According to one spokesperson for the Belize Bakers Association, a thirty-five cents increase is just enough to keep bakers afloat. But it was not the increase they were hoping for. The association says that while their products are still being underpriced, they too must consider public sentiments.

 

On the Phone: Vic Chu, Spokesperson for Belize Bakers Association

“We greatly thank for the support for the entire Belize community and the country, the government, even though we are struggling, but we try to make what we can, and we hope everyone understand that we don’t intend to increase unless it was necessary. Many factors have been increasing on our behalf and we were forced to increase, but we give our gratitude and thanks to the support for the community.”

 

 

 

As we found out, choosing between purchasing a loaf of creole bread from a street vendor and a pack of sixteen-ounce bread from the grocery store is both a matter of preference and affordability. Whereas one individual may buy creole bread daily because they prefer the taste, another person will purchase a sixteen-ounce pack bread because it goes further around the dinner table for a large family.

 

 

 

 

Joe, Belize City Resident

“Right now I the buy bread yah for about four years or maybe more.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Is it because of your preference for creole bread or is it cheaper?”

 

 

 

Joe, Belize City Resident

“I don’t like baker bread; I like my creole bread. And to me it last longer, cause I dah sea man. When I guh dah sea, I have deh yah bread yah, three four days deh suh.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Tell mih mih lee friend., which one you prefer pack bread or creole bread?”

 

Nisani, Belize City Resident

“Creole bread, because the creole bread taste better, I nuh like the Chinese bread deh.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.