By Anna Rose Madray Friday, June 27 2008

SEVERAL supermarkets and bakeries yesterday said they had not yet been informed of any plan to increase the price of flour.

Flour prices are expected to rise by 29 percent from July 1. The increases are to range between ten to 34 percent. Yesterday groceries and bakers said they were totally unaware of any decision taken by National Flour Mills (NFM) to raise the price of the basic commodity.

A purchasing manager at Naipaul’s Xtra Foods, in Chaguanas, said that her supermarket had not been informed by the supplier. “They does just drop these increases on you, and don’t even give you any time to buy stocks beforehand,” she complained.

She said that supermarkets were supposed to get an official letter informing them of any increases in goods, but this was not the case. “When the stocks reach, we get the new prices, and there is nothing we can do about it,” she said.

She said that she was getting tired of hearing the excuse that prices were going up so quickly as a result of a worldwide scarcity of wheat. “There’s nobody to compete with NFM so we just have to take what they give us,” she said. “Customers don’t react nicely to price changes,” she said, adding that the increases affected everyone.

At present the supermarket manager said that a ten kilogramme pack of Ibis flour costs $58.99, while a 45 kilogramme pack costs $260. She said her supply of flour was satisfactory, but expressed anxiety at purchasing new stocks with the raised prices.

Lystra Alexis, a supervisor at Hi-Lo Food Stores on French Street in Woodbrook said, “We don’t know anything about it, but I heard the price of flour and bread might rise.”

Alexis argued, “NFM is state-owned and yet, they killing you with high prices.” She said the rapidly changing prices were confusing to consumers, who needed some means of stability. Alexis said that she hoped the Government’s recently established Prices Council and Consumer Advisory Board would serve as a watchdog group for consumers.

Political leader of the United National Congress Basdeo Panday also issued a press release yesterday calling for the two-day old Prices Council and Consumer Advisory Board to investigate and report on the impending 29 percent increase in flour prices. “NFM is about to raise flour prices for the sixth time in 18 months,” added Panday.

A manager at Tru Valu Food stores in Diego Martin said they were not aware of any increase in the price of flour, and if they were, they would be informed by their agent. At present, he said their stocks were lower, but this was due mainly to a stock count process that their supermarket was performing.