Overview
- The Asociación Peruana de Empresarios de la Panadería y Pastelería (ASPAN) reported on Wednesday that sugar has jumped from about S/114 per sack in August to S/190 now and urged government review of the market.
- ASPAN says the price rise is squeezing production costs across roughly 23,000 bakeries but the guild currently rules out an immediate increase in retail bread prices.
- The guild filed a formal request to the Ministry of Development Agrario y Riego (MIDAGRI) asking for a meeting and for fiscalization to investigate alleged hoarding and speculative pricing in supply centers.
- ASPAN proposed short-term measures including participation in state feeding programs and a targeted ‘BonoPan’ card for vulnerable people, and it warned higher sugar costs could raise prices or shrink weight in seasonal panetón products.
- Bakeries present a national emergency role in ASPAN’s plan because they are widely distributed, SNI’s mills committee has said flour stocks are sufficient, and analysts warn El Niño could strain transport and worsen food-price pressure.