Representatives of the Mozambican government, milling companies and bakers have been holding meetings here to try and find ways of dealing with the ever increasing price of wheat on the international market.
The PANA, qouting the chairperson of the Mozambican Bakers Association, Victor Miguel, as saying the discussions are about creating internal capacity for the production of wheat or the use of alternative raw materials, particularly cassava flour.
Miguel stressed “Mozambique needs to produce wheat flour as it used to. We have a huge and active population and good relationship with the international community. “There are also substitute raw materials, namely cassava, he said.”
Miguel denied reports that the state will subsidise the price of bread in the same way it has promised to subsidise the price of fuel used by the privately owned minibus-taxis. The same rumour-mill also claimed the price of bread will be increased as from this week, because of the increase in the price of wheat on the world market.
“We deny such reports, because they are not true”, said Miguel, pointing out the price of bread has already gone up once this month (on 1 February).
He added that, even if the bakers wanted to increase the price of bread, it would not be because of the current world market price, because Mozambican milling companies have yet to receive wheat at those prices. Only when milling companies increased the price of flour, would the bakers have to consider a further increase in bread prices.
“We are currently consuming wheat flour that we bought at the prices obtaining before 1 February,” said Miguel. It was the price of that wheat which led bakers to increase the price of bread as from 1 February.
