Community bakers Monday warned that the rising prices of sugar plus the limited supply of diesel may force them to raise prices of breads during the Christmas time.

Lucito Chavez, vice-president of the Philippine Federation of Bakers Associations, said that although they have agreed to hold off price increases for now, but the rising prices of sugar has put a strain on their costing.

Chavez said the price of refined sugar has gone up to P44 per kilo or P2,200 per 50-kilogram bag from P38 per kilo or P1,900 per bag.

“We don’t have yet the costing at which price of sugar we need to adjust our prices,” Chavez said.

In addition, bakers have complained that the limited supply of diesel have also restrained their mobility. Supply of diesel is limited to P500 per day only.

“Diesel is used by bakers for delivery. We deliver food products, our products are perishable there should be no limit because we don’t limit the sale of pandesal and other bread products,” Chavez added.

Some big bakers also use diesel for their industrial ovens, he added.
In addition, bakers have urged government to conduct an inventory on the country’s LPG supply to avoid a repeat of last year’s shortage.

Chavez said they cannot afford to have another problem with LPG. At least 90 percent of small bakers use LPG.

“This time, we want government to make proper estimate of LPG supply because the shortage in LPG supply around December last year occurred because the government underestimated our LPG supply,” he said.

According to Chavez, a small bakery with five bags flour consumption a day requires between two to three 11-kologram LPG cylinder.