Cheaper bread is possible due to last year’s harvest in region: Moldovan authorities

Cheapening bread will be possible due to the rich harvest of wheat in 2008. President Vladimir Voronin recommended bakeries to reduce the price of pastries by 20% starting February 1, several months before the parliamentary elections, Info-Prim Neo reports. Minister of Agriculture Anatolie Gorodenco explained on January 21, after the government’s sitting, that the flour price in the region is lower than the previous years. Now the bakeries can buy highest-quality flour from Ukraine, containing 28% of gluten, at a price of 3.20-3.30 lei per kilogram, compared to 4.50 lei-5 lei in the past. President of the farmers association “Uniagroprotect” Valeriu Bulgari sees no problem in importing flour from Ukraine as Moldova is a member of the World Trade Organization. It must keep its markets open, but it has the right to set quotas on imports. Asked by Info-Prim Neo, Igor Cojuhari, a private baker, says that he and other guild colleagues needed no advice from the authorities to reduce the price on what they call “social bread.” He says that the situation on the market allows this thing, but the drop they intend to operate will not surpass 10%. Minister Gorodenco hinted that the presidential recommendation is a recommendation just for the private bakeries, the state incumbent ones will diminish the price by 20%. He did not specify, but he referred to the biggest bakery in the country Franzeluta. The government hopes that the private bakeries will follow their example so that their sales do not fall. President of Uniagroprotect says that the farmers have much supply of wheat, but 70% of the wheat of 2008 can be used only for fodder. Valeriu Bulgari said that the government had acquired wheat for the state reserve – 40 thousand tonnes – for a good price from peasants: 3 lei per kilo and more. According to the Minister of Agriculture the wheat price on the domestic market is up to 2 lei at present. The specialists use the term “social bread” in order to refer to kinds of cheap bread (1.80-1.90 lei a loaf). Asked by Info-Prim Neo, sellers of 3 shops in Chisinau accepted to admit, anonymously, that the “social bread” is brought from Franzeluta in small quantities which is sold immediately. Minister Gorodenco said that Franzeluta produces “40% of social bread.” Info-Prim Neo asked the bakery to give explanations about the deficit of cheap bread and it was assured to get the answer on Thursday.