Some consumers of confectionaries in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT have stopped buying bread, meat pies and other pastries due to continuous hikes in the prices of the commodities.

The consumers spoke in separate interviews on Monday in Abuja, saying
the increasing cost of food commodities forced them to seek alternatives for breakfast.

Ada Christopher, a mother of four, said the price of bread had persistently increased and was almost unaffordable for the average Nigerian.

She said that although her children loved to eat bread with tea for breakfast, she could no longer afford it as a big loaf costs between N1,700 and N2,000.

“With the latest price, I don’t think it is sustainable and we have to look for something else as alternative for breakfast,” she stated.

Ms Christopher added that pastries such as egg and fish rolls and meat pies, which could serve as fast foods, have also become out of reach, as they cost more than N500.

Similarly, another consumer, Patricia Amos, said she had tagged bread, cakes and other pastries as luxuries because they cost too much.

Ms Amos, who said she had a large family, added that buying bread for her family every day would cost her a fortune because she would buy two or more loaves.

“I now go for alternatives like pap, moi-moi, bambara nut commonly called ‘okpa’ and sweet potatoes to replace bread with tea for my family,” said Ms Amos.

However, Shadrach Ayani, a baker, told journalists that the hike in price was not deliberate as it was done according to the costs of flour, sugar and other major baking ingredients.

He attributed the unstable price change to economic inflation and other constraints toward getting the products at a favourable price.

“You know most baking ingredients are imported, and they are usually affected by the global wheat price increase and transportation and logistics challenges within Nigeria.

“The rise in the exchange rate is further straining both small and larger bakeries, and no consumer wants to buy and eat bread that is not rich or nutritious,” he said.

Mr Ayani said his bakery had reduced the quantity of loaves it produced weekly because of a drop in patronage. He, however, added that it was not so much that the bakery would stop production.

“Some days, you bake, and bread remains for three to four days on the shelf, and we are forced to take them off because they may get spoilt,” Mr Ayani said.

He prayed the situation would end soonest, advising consumers to patronise good and hygienic confectionaries and desist from patronising cheap and substandard foods.

(NAN)