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Price of kottu reduced by Rs. 50, bread prices unchanged

17 Oct 2022

BY Buwanajee Coralage The price of bakery products including that of a loaf of bread will not be reduced, although the price of kottu roti was decreased by Rs. 50 with effect from yesterday (16) in lieu of the recent price decrease of imported wholesale wheat flour in the market to Rs. 290 per kg.  Speaking to The Morning yesterday, All-Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association Chairman N.K. Jayawardena stated that the prices of bakery products will remain the same, as no price increase had been made to products including bread since the price of wheat flour was at Rs. 270 per kg.  “There is a lot of controversy over the prices after the reduction of the price of imported wheat flour. It should be noted that the last time we increased the price of bread was when the price of a kilogram of flour was increased to Rs. 270. Then our association increased the price of a loaf of bread to Rs. 200, but afterwards, no changes to the price were made even amidst increases in the price of wheat flour.  “We have to say that we can reduce the prices of bakery products including bread only if the price of a kilogram of wheat flour is at a controlled price of Rs. 250 but today, even now the bakery owners need to buy flour from the black market to prices above Rs. 300 per kg, therefore urgent Government intervention is needed on the matter but we assure the consumers that we will not increase the price of a loaf of bread beyond Rs. 200,” said Jayawardena. Furthermore he stated that 50% of the wheat flour used in the bakery industry is processed by two major flour companies in the country. He stated that they are in no position to make an official price revision until these two companies lower their prices for wheat flour as well. Moreover with regards to his previous statement he asserted that though bakery owners have been made to purchase flour at times from the black-market, the prices of products were never determined corresponding to black-market prices. However, speaking to The Morning, Restaurant Owners’ Association Chairman Asela Sampath stated that the price of kottu will be decreased by Rs. 50, due to the recent reduction in prices of cooking gas, fresh produce, and imported wheat flour.  He said that this decision was taken considering the consumers as well as members of the association, who are facing difficulties with consumers being reluctant to purchase food at high prices. He also revealed that they were able to successfully import wheat flour at the price of Rs. 230 per kg, by urging the relevant authorities to look into domestic production and determine a control price for wheat flour. He finally called for an update of the Food Act.  


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