NAN-H-56
Bakeries
By Abdullahi Shugaba
Dutse, Feb. 13 , 2017 (NAN) The Chairman, Bread Bakers Association of Nigeria, Jigawa Chapter, Alhaji Yunusa Muhammad, said on Monday that over 100 bakeries had closed down in the state, due to high cost of baking materials.
Muhammad told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse that the development had brought about unemployment among the youth in the sector.
He explained that a bag of sugar, which used to cost N7, 000, now sells for N20, 000, while a bag of flour has risen to N11, 000, from N8, 000.
He said that the price of butter had jumped from N5, 000 to N10, 000, while the price of groundnut oil had also increased from N4, 000 to N15, 000.
According to Muhammad, the price of baking salt has increased from N2, 000 to N4, 500, while the cost of wrappers, fire wood and other baking materials are on the high side.
He said that the increase in the prices of ingredients, had forced many bread bakers to close shop, because they could not continue.
The chairman appealed to the Federal and State Governments to support members of the association with soft loan through the Bank of Industry, to enable them to stay in business.
Muhammad said, “the present economic recession has brought untold hardship to many of our members, because most of us cannot properly feed our families now”. (NAN)
AIS/FLP/AFA
Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Felix Ajide