Price increase in flour products soon

By Malik Gunatilleke

Prices of all wheat based food items are set to increase within the next few days after this week’s sudden increase of wheat flour prices resulted in an increase in the price of bread by Rs. 5 yesterday. Wheat grain prices in the world market shot up by 25% within the past month causing wheat flour prices to follow suit with the import price of a metric ton rising by 15 to 20 dollars this month.

Sri Lanka Bakery Owners’ Association president Parakrama Dasanayake told The Sunday Times exports from wheat producing countries had come down by 35% which had caused the shortage on wheat flour in the world market.

“The unexpected weather conditions in most parts of the world as well as the use of wheat grain to produce alternative energy have created a severe shortage in the market,” he said.