November 25, 2021
BY: MORISSON M. KOROMA
Bread is a food prepared from dough of flour and water with other ingredients. It is believed that the wheat now forms part of Sierra Leone’s staple food and as a basic consumable nutrient in the Country; bread has come to take on significance beyond mere nutrition, evolving into a fixture in religious rituals, secular cultural life and language.
Our bread provides energy for daily living and its usual prices in Sierra Leone a loaf is sold at Le-1,000 depending on the size.
In August this year, it was widely rumoured that the price of locally made bread was increasing due to the escalating sums of commodities which included flour but was later halted as there were agreements reached between the Sierra Leone Association of Bakers and the Government.
Consumers in Kenema, the headquarter town of Eastern Region spent two consecutive days (22nd & 23rd November 2021) without the common wheat.
Mohamed Kenda Shaw is the Chairman of the Association in Kenema, told this medium that his association was in a closed-door meeting regarding their affairs. Shaw maintained that the bakers were with the full knowledge that the sellers and end product users weren’t convenient with the absence of the product within those two days.
Highlighting details of their meeting, the chairman pointed out the day-by-day increment of the high protein flour that affects their daily investments.
“We did not strike and we don’t have any plan to jump to the streets for demonstration. We only met to discuss our affairs; Price of flour keeps mounting high on daily basis. The customers are very important but the capital is key”, he said.
Mohamed Kenda Shaw valiantly disclosed that in the meeting, it was unanimously decided by associate members that effective Wednesday 24th November, the product’s lowest cost should be two thousand Leones in Kenema.
“This is because the flour from which the bread is produced has seized to be inflated. We are not doing it for any profit making but to at least save our business capital”, the chairman said.
Asked whether their decision could be reversed if government demands, he stated that his association will never challenge the government. Members of the public have expressed nerve-wracking concerns over what many described as hard-hitting moment considering Sierra Leone’s current economic conditions but were also happy that the nutritional wheat is now finally available for sales, as it absence during the past two days brought immense woes in the city.