The price of wheat is rising this year, but not yet enough. Swiss Granum announces this week that the 100 kilos of bread wheat will now be paid 57 francs at an indicative price to farmers, following the harvest. That’s regarding five francs more than last year. However, the agricultural union Uniterre pleaded for a price of 69 francs per quintal. We are still far from it, in a context where production costs are rising and competition from imports is fierce. The director of AgriJura says: “It is clearly not enough”. François Monin specifies that this increase is therefore “regarding 10% compared to 2021, while production costs have already increased by more than 15%. In addition, the costs directly linked to the production of cereals (energy to operate machinery and agricultural inputs) have increased by 60%”, observes the head of the Chamber of Agriculture who “requested an increase of double this which has been granted.
“Some producers will reduce or stop”
These prices, therefore considered too low, have a direct impact on producers. “Some will perhaps reduce or stop growing bread cereals,” said François Monin. The latter also predicts that indigenous agricultural production may be lower in the long term.
The price of bread is rising and it is not the fault of the producers
As a result of these cost increases, the price of bread will rise, bakers have announced it. However, for François Monin, it is not because of cereals: “If cereals increase by five francs per hundred kilos, the price of a kilo of bread should only increase by five centimes, which corresponds to less than two additional francs per person per year for bread consumption. It is therefore the fault of the energies for manufacturing which are taking the elevator”.
The consumer can act, underlines the director of AgriJura: “We must favor Swiss bread thanks in particular to the label “Swiss bread” and avoid pre-baked and foreign breads”. /lb
