Bad news for lovers of the baguette kneaded with passion by the baker.
A typically French symbol, the baguette should join the long list of products seeing their price increase in the coming weeks.
A finding already known and underlined by professionals, but repeated this Tuesday by the government.
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Asked by the deputy (UDI) André Villiers during questions to the government on Tuesday, the deputy minister in charge of SMEs recalled that "
the French consume, on average, a baguette every two days
".
Freely fixed since 1987, the price of the baguette has only increased by 23 cents "
in twenty years
", according to Alain Griset.
But the difficult climatic conditions affecting harvests and the strong demand for wheat are creating a particular context this year, from which professionals will suffer.
The prices of flour and yeast will thus increase, and the wage increases which will benefit the employees of the bakeries will also weigh on the budgets of the shops.
Rising wheat prices
In this context, professionals may be tempted to inflate their prices to absorb the rising costs.
"
We can legitimately think that the price of the baguette could increase,
" said Alain Griset.
But the Minister Delegate is counting on "
competition
" between players in the sector, from large-scale distribution to small bakeries, including bread machines, to calm the rise in prices.
“
We think it's going to be limited, and some tell us it can go up to 5%.
This is the wish that we are expressing today
”, declared the member of the government.
5%, or about 5 euro cents.
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Behind, bakers should therefore increase their prices, by just a few cents: "I
would be surprised if we had an increase of 20 cents, even 10 cents, that would be a lot,
" said Dominique Anract.
The boss of the confederation also advanced the same argument as Alain Griset, declaring that the
fierce
"
competition
" of supermarkets would limit the rise in prices.