Horror harvest to hit bread prices

26 June 2001



‘Horror harvest’ to hit bread prices

By FWi staff

BREAD prices are set to soar in anticipation of a horror harvest reports the Daily Express.

The cost of British Bakeries Hovis loaf, the most popular brand bread in the UK, has risen 20% to 54p this week at some major supermarket chains.

A poor harvest is predicted as a result of the very wet weather earlier could have a knock on effect on flour prices, says the newspaper.

The move is also said to be prompted by efforts by supermarkets to stop selling bread as a loss leader and start charging a more realistic price.

An increase of 9p per loaf was revealed in a survey by The Grocer magazine.

According to the survey, the only supermarkets which had not raised their prices were Asda and Safeway.

Autumn drillings were 30% down leading to predictions that the 2001 wheat crop could be the smallest since 1988 when just 11.75m tonnes was produced.

• Wheat prospects lowest since 1988, FWi, 13 April 2001
• Rank Hovis raises flour price, FWi, 14 October 1999
  
• Daily Express, 26 June, 2001, page 22