Gas, chicken, and now bread - the most basic staple on everyone's table will see a price increase. This morning, a social media post claiming that bread had gone up from $2 to $3 in San Pedro alerted residents to the imminent increase. And today, we asked several bakeries about their own experiences. Many of them agreed that their prices would have to go up - and not just for the bread, but also for the sweet treats and small snacks that they sell - basically anything with flour. And that's due in large part to the war in Ukraine - which has driven up the world price for wheat. So while once upon a time, a plate of fried chicken and a "pack bread" might have been the cheapest meal, that may not be the case anymore - in similar fashion to the corned beef, which has seen its price skyrocket.
But the increase in flour was expected from last month when the Caribbean Millers' Association put out a release saying that the cost of producing flour had gone up by 40% due to the cost of the raw materials, coupled with the rising price of fuel. They had warned that some of that cost would have to be passed on to the consumers.
