KUALA LUMPUR – The price of wheat flour is expected to increase following India’s immediate ban on wheat exports as the country seeks to bolster its food security.
The implication of the ban would certainly result in a lack of flour stock in the market, as wheat is the main ingredient. To some extent, it could lead to a spike in food prices.
Among those who would be affected are the bakery operators, mamak restaurant owners and bread manufacturing companies.
If the price of flour increases, Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners’ Association (Presma) president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said the cost of raw materials for restaurateurs would also increase.
Jawahar said flour is one of the main ingredients used in daily meals at mamak restaurants, especially the all-time favourite roti canai and mee.
“Wheat flour contributes 20% of the raw materials used to make food at mamak restaurants. If the cost increases, we will also be affected.
“The latest ban from the Indian government will definitely not only cause an increase in the price of wheat flour but also result in the supply of the item being cut off over the next three months,” he said when contacted by The Vibes’ sister portal Getaran.
However, he said, so far the stock for flour is still easily attainable, but the matter needs to be addressed immediately by the government so that affected traders can overcome this shortcoming.
“We won’t be able to survive if the price of raw materials continues to rise. Therefore, I propose to the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry and agro-based industries to look into this issue seriously.
“Until when do we have to expect raw materials from other countries? In fact, it causes us to have to bear the implications every time the production is affected,” he said.
So far, Jawahar said Presma members are still maintaining the price of roti canai and other dishes at their respective premises but they will no longer be able to do so for much longer if raw material prices continue to increase.
“The issue of food prices is something that is sensitive to be talked about, but what choice do we have if the prices of goods continue to increase?” he lamented.
Meanwhile, the owner of Maya Homemade Dessert bakery, Jama’ah Lambong said it has been a trying year for her business following the increase in the price of goods.
In order to make a profit, the 40-year-old baker said she had no alternative but to increase the price of the layer cakes, which she sells, since the beginning of the year.
“It is not like we want to increase the price, but it’s due to the rising cost of raw materials in the market.
“I had to tawakal (leave it to God) every time I increased the price of the layer cakes. But so far, Alhamdulillah, the majority of my customers understand the situation I am going through,” she said.
She said she had to once again place a hike on the price of her baked goods due to the increase in the prices of several other raw materials such as butter and chocolate.
“After the Hari Raya celebration, the suppliers contacted me and provided me with a new price list for raw materials, most of which went up.
“So I had to put a new price on the layer cakes.
“Otherwise, I would not be making any profit. However, if it is true that the price of wheat flour will be increasing, it would definitely affect my operating costs.” – The Vibes, May 17, 2022
