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Gambia News: Increase in the Price of Bread

As from today, Monday 3 December 2007, the price of bread known to many as "senfour" will increase from D2.50 a loaf to D3.00, a statement from the bakers revealed. In the same vein, the price of a dozen loaves of bread has also been increased from D25.00 to D30.00. According to bakery owners, this increase in the price of bread has been triggered by the sudden dramatic rise of the price of a bag of flour from D480 to D700. Reacting to this move by the bakery owners, one Alpha Jallow, who heads the operation of his father's bakery located at Tallinding, said although their bakery will increase their price of bread immediately, he does not rule out a further increase in the price in the coming days.

Mr Jallow also remarked that the increase in the price of bread is genuine, as bakery owners would end up having nothing if a price increase is not effected. According to him, his price increase was prompted by what he called the surging price of flour. Another bakery owner who does not want his identity to be revealed, said the price of flour has suddenly increased throughout the globe. According to this man, who is apparently Lebanese, the dramatic increase in the price of bread was prompted by the fact that flour is being used as a bio-fuel in some countries. As a result, he said, the demand for it is high.

The man further noted that the increase in the price will not in any way be able to recover their losses. As he put it, there has been a 60 percent increase in the price of flour. He also stated that the increase in the price of bread is quite justifiable. It is not effected just to exploit the poor. He said if the bakers had any malicious intentions of exploiting the poor they would have done so in the month of Ramadan when the demand for bread was high. When this reporter went to various shops to check the price of a bag of flour, it ranged from D650 to D800. In a survey of food prices conducted by Foroyaa at different periods the following results were obtained for the price of flour: February 2006 = D500; January 2007 = D550; October 2007 = D650.

Src: Foroyaa, Gambia