Concerns over flour products price hike

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain Flour Mills Company (BFM) has announced a significant price increase for most of its flour products, ranging from 35% to 100%. The new prices are now reflected in the product list available on the company’s website.

However, the company has maintained subsidized prices for accredited popular bakeries.

For instance, the price of a 50kg bag of flour type 0 has increased from BD3.7 to BD5.2, while flour type 2 has jumped from BD3.1 to BD4.950.

Similar price hikes have affected pizza flour, confectionery flour, and both human and animal bran flour.

Global rise This increase comes amidst a global rise in wheat prices, which have seen consecutive increases over the past two years due to market disruptions caused by various crises and wars, most notably the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Several MPs have expressed concerns that the flour price hike will lead to increased prices of many food items, including pastries, pies, sweets, and livestock feed.

MP Mohammed Al Maarafi, who previously chaired the parliamentary inquiry committee on food security, stated that the price increase will be monitored by the parliament in the upcoming session due to its critical impact.

Global price Al Maarafi also noted that the global price of wheat ranges between $250 and $270 per ton, approximately BD94, whereas BFM will now sell wheat at over BD125 per ton under its new pricing structure.

He further highlighted that the price of animal bran, previously BD2.2 per bag, has doubled to BD4.4, representing a 100% increase.

“This will undoubtedly impact livestock prices, potentially affecting breeders and forcing many livestock traders and farm owners out of the market due to the difficulty of competing with imported live meat,” he added.