By the end of 2020, the predicted increase in the price of bread and bakery products should be 15-20%, but in fact, the manufacturing companies will not raise prices by more than 10-15%. This was reported by the vice-president of the All-Ukrainian Association of Bakers, Yury Duchenko, writes agronews.ua.
Earlier, the mass media, with reference to market participants, reported on a possible increase in bread prices by 40%. Duchenko noted that this is not true.
According to him, the factors influencing the increase in prices really exist. First of all, the increase in the price of bread was caused by the increase in the cost of wheat and its processing products, the increase in the prices of sugar, sunflower oil and other ingredients for the production of bread and bakery products.
Secondly, the devaluation of the hryvnia by almost 20% from the beginning of 2020 and the increase in the minimum wage, the level of which is regulated by the government, will lead to an increase in the price of bread.
In general, in such conditions, there are all prerequisites to talk about a price increase of 15-20%. However, we held repeated meetings with the bakery business and we have an understanding that prices will not increase by more than 10-15%. At a minimum, we can definitely talk about the most popular social types of bread, since the companies understand the social component of this business, Duchenko noted.
He reminded that since the beginning of the year, the cost of wheat (50% of the cost of bread) has increased by 40%, of which by 25% in September alone. In addition, the prices of sugar, sunflower oil, logistics services, energy carriers have increased significantly.
The association appealed to the Antimonopoly Committee with a demand to investigate a possible monopolistic conspiracy on the sugar market, and also raised the issue of abolishing restrictive duties on the import of certain types of sugar from abroad.
