Will there be a price increase for bread? The Bakers' Federation said, "There will be no increase in 2024."

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Halil İbrahim Balcı, President of the Turkish Bakers Federation, stated that there has been a significant increase in flour prices due to the country's wheat production and quality.

Balcı reported that the sack price of flour purchased before the beginning of October was 630 lira, and this price rose to the 820 lira band within that month, saying, "We expressed that the relevant ministries should gather the sector to hold discussions, and that there would be no price changes this month, as there have been increases not only in flour but also in other inputs."

"SOLUTION-ORIENTED WORK HAS BEEN DONE"

Balcı stated that they had a meeting with the Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat, and expressed the sector's difficulties, adding: "After us, they listened to the flour industrialists. In a meeting held with our Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı, and ministry officials, they decided to reduce the flour price from 820 lira to the 720 lira and 760 lira band. They also communicated this to us. I would like to thank our flour industrialists from here. Just as our bakers have always put their hands under the stone, they have always tried to reflect the price of bread, which is a staple food for the public, at the lowest level possible, and today's work shows that. In other words, rather than working on the premise that 'the flour price has become 820 lira, therefore the reflection on bread will be this much, the bread price will be this,' a solution-oriented approach was taken to the problem."

Emphasizing that there have been initiatives not only regarding bread but also concerning the sector's problems, Balcı stated that the relevant ministries have shown the necessary sensitivity in this regard.

"THERE WILL BE NO PRICE CHANGE IN BREAD"

Balcı pointed out that they need to ensure food safety from farm to table, especially in bread, and explained that allowing bread to be sold on the street, in front of mosques, and in market places would undermine the reliability of the product.

Indicating that their top priority is to produce quality bread in a healthy and hygienic environment, Balcı said: "We held a meeting with our presidents who came here from many provinces of Turkey. With the flour price coming down from the 820 lira band to the 720-760 lira band, our bakers are showing the necessary dedication as always. We had expressed that the kilogram price of bread would not exceed 50 lira across Turkey by the end of this month. There will be no price change in bread until a new price is determined with the minimum wage by the end of December."

"SENSITIVITY REGARDING BREAD PRICES WILL CONTINUE"

Balcı stated that any application outside of these prices falls into exorbitant pricing and warned that the penalties for this are very severe. He expressed that they do not want any tradesman to be victimized, saying, "I do not believe that any of our tradesmen will resort to this. I hope that the flour industrialists who show this sincerity with us will continue to do so until the end of the year."

Pointing out that everyone needs to make sacrifices from their profits until the end of the year, Balcı noted: "Since bread is a staple food, we are very sensitive regarding its price. Both we and the ministries have done whatever is necessary regarding the price. We will continue to show this sensitivity. We will act as sensitively as we have until now regarding the increase to be made at the end of the year, and I hope our people will understand us."