There are no objective reasons for a steep increase of the prices of the major grocery products within the chain-grain flour - bread, as well as of the prices of oil, stated Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Miroslav Naydenov at a extraordinary meeting of the Advisory Council on Grain Crops, convoked at his initiative and attended by the representatives of producers of vegetable oil and the State Commission for Commodity Exchanges and Wholesale Markets. Minister Naydenov was categorical that there are no grounds for concern about the grain balance until the new harvest campaing. However, there is a lasting trend of price increases at a European and global scale and this will inevitably reflect on the pricing process of the grain and flour within the chain, the minister added.
Representatives of the branch organizations agreed around that conclusion, as it was stressed that the price should reflect the gradual market trends.Bread producers pointed out as a major problem the price formation. Presently, bread is sold below its production cost thanks to the grey economy, which is about 60 %. Based on the equal indicators of prices of the other EU member states, it is impossible the bread prices to remain at the same level. Up to the new crop, upward trends of the bread price hike are expected. In this regard, Minister Naydenov said that after the establishment of the Agency on Food Safety, that has already been approved in the Parliament, the control throughout the food chain will be strengthen and will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
An analysis on the condition of grain, wheat and sunflower markets and the grain disposal from the 2010 harvest was submitted at the meeting by the National Grain and Feed Service.