Bakeries in Port Sudan, in northeastern Sudan, have cut the number of loaves sold for 1,000 Sudanese pounds from 5 to 3, and sometimes 2, after flour prices rose by between 20% and 25%, according to bakery owners who attributed the price changes and lower production to higher input, energy and operating costs.
Higher flour and energy costs
Bakery owners said yeast prices had risen repeatedly, while high temperatures required them to buy between 3 and 9 blocks of ice a day to cool the dough, adding to operating costs.
Power cuts are forcing bakeries to run generators on gasoline at a rate of 8 gallons per shift, while shortages at filling stations are driving them to the black market to buy fuel containers. Workers’ daily earnings have fallen from 60-70 to 30-40 pounds, while the bakery’s daily output has declined from 1,500 loaves to about 1,000 or 1,380 loaves.
Fewer loaves for 1,000 Sudanese pounds
Bakery owners said reducing what 1,000 Sudanese pounds buys, currently less than one dollar, to 3 loaves instead of 4 was necessary to address continuing losses. They said ensuring flour supplies and lowering its price were the key steps to resolving the crisis.
Residents said what 1,000 Sudanese pounds buys had fallen from 5 loaves in November last year to 4, then 3, and eventually 2 over a period ranging from 3 to 7 weeks. They added that the cost had become a burden for five-member families, with the price of traditional alternatives such as kisra and qراصة also rising as flour prices increased.
Pressure on local production
The bread crisis comes amid pressures linked to the higher dollar exchange rate and declining local production. Sudan has been experiencing a war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces since mid-April 2023, which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced about 13 million.
