The Master Bakers and Caterers Association of Nigeria has threatened to withdraw its services across the country if the government does not wade into the issue of the high costs of ingredients, particularly flour and sugar.
The Kogi State Chairman of the Association, Chief Gabriel Bamidele Adeniyi in a Press Conference held on Monday in Lokoja, said, the association has no other option than to embark on protest for two weeks, beginning from 20th July 2022 to press home their demands.
Adeniyi noted that despite their recommendations to the government to liberalise the importation of wheat and sugar, to include willing companies, the Governor remained adamant in restricting the licence to a few companies which could be the factor in escalating prices of flour and sugar.
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He further disclosed that the Association is faced with a high incidence of over-taxation by various government institutions which ultimately scale up their cost of production.
“Since the ban on importation of flour into the country, no serious effort has been made for homegrown wheat as promised by the government and its relevant agency – the Federal Ministry of Agriculture”, he said.
” We have requested for Palliative in form of soft loans or subsidies to bakers to enable them to produce quality and affordable quantity bread for mass consumption, which was promised but not fulfilled.“These challenges facing the association are threatening the production of affordable and quality bread in the country.
“The commodity will therefore be off the streets, markets, shops, and dining table from 20th to 26th, July 2922 to drive home the points raised for necessary action by the government.”
The Association’s Chairman noted that thousands of bakers and millions of their employees will be jobless as well as marketers; while millions of Naira extracted from the industry will be lost to smugglers and foreign bakers of bread if their withdrawal from operations is allowed to happen.
