SEVERAL bakeries gave been forced to temporarily close shop amidst the rising prices of wheat triggered by the spate of increases in pump prices in recent weeks.
According to the Philippine Association of Flour Millers Incorporated (PAFMI), prices of wheat have already increased as much as 50 percent beginning February to last month the current year.
“Kung ang presyo ng trigo dati ay P860 ang bag na may lamang 25 kilo, ngayon ay aabot na sa P1,000 ang halaga kada bag. Isa sa mga dahilan nang pagtaas ng presyo ay ang giyera sa pagitan ng Ukraine at Russia dahil ang Russia ang isa sa pinakamalaking exporter ng trigo sa buong mundo,” PAFMI executive director Ric Pinca pointed out in the vernacular.
“Pangalawang dahilan ay ang Indian export ban sa trigo, at ang pangatlo ay ang panahon kung saan ang isa nating pinagkukuhanan ng trigo sa Amerika ay nakararanas ng tagtuyot,” Pinca added.
Despite this, though, PAMFI gave assurances that the country will not experience a shortage as wheat importation from the United States continues while supplies from Eastern Europe is being hampered by Russia’s invasion of the former member republic of the Soviet Union.
The group is now proposing to government for tariff reduction on wheat importation in order to address the problem and lessen the impact on consumers.
Overall, Pinca enthused that the situation will be a big challenge to the incoming administration of president-elect Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. because agriculture is one of the sectors gravely affected by the crisis brought about by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and conflict in Ukraine.
