IFA: Farmers not to blame for rise in bread prices

Irish farmers have claimed that they are not to blame for the imminent rise in the cost of a loaf of bread.

Despite the scrapping of the Groceries Order, it now seems a significant price hike is on the way across a range of basic food items.

The Food and Drinks Industry has claimed that it has no choice but to pass on rising production costs to consumers.

However Padraig Walshe of the Irish Farmers' Association said today that the middlemen, such as the bakers, are simply increasing their margins.

“Even a 25% increase in the price of wheat would transfer into at most a 2% or 3% rise or a €0.023 increase in the price of a loaf because the value of the wheat content of a loaf is about €0.09 so it is totally wrong of IBEC and the bakers and anybody to be blaming these increase on what’s being paid to farmers for the raw materials,” he said.