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Bread and flour prices to rise after poor harvest

(63 Posts)
Polly99 Thu 27-Aug-20 07:31:04

www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53921121

I do hope this doesn't lead to another flour shortage in the shops. I make my own bread (using a breadmaker). We have only recently had regular flour supplies back in our local supermarket.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 27-Aug-20 07:43:22

You’d be wise to stock up whilst you can as the poor harvest, and Brexit looking to be a no deal things might get decidedly difficult.

Missfoodlove Thu 27-Aug-20 08:29:29

Stock up while you can!!
Great advice....... let’s create another shortage.

NotSpaghetti Thu 27-Aug-20 08:34:09

Polly99 - the last shortage was not the flour being in short supply, it was the smaller flour bags of the sort an ordinary shopper might buy from the supermarket.

If you buy it in 16kg (or larger) sacks there was no shortage at all.

This time there will be shortages, and without a deal, price rises because of import taxes.

Esspee Thu 27-Aug-20 08:52:08

I can understand price rises when there has been a poor harvest.
Why do we never see price reductions when the harvest is good is what I would like to know?

eazybee Thu 27-Aug-20 09:11:21

This is getting biblical.

timetogo2016 Thu 27-Aug-20 09:25:45

Exactly Esspee.
The bread that i buy has gone up 25p and boxes of cereal have gone up by 32p to name just two items.
It seems like farmers put the costs up and that`s where they stay.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 27-Aug-20 09:36:28

The high protein wheat flour that is used in bread is imported from Canada, Germany and France. None of whom do we have a trade agreement.

If our harvest is poor there will inevitably be shortages.

If there is no trade agreement there will be tariffs which will put up the price.

Missfoodlove Thu 27-Aug-20 09:36:32

Much wheat is produced in this country for the production of ethanol.

The amount sold for ethanol is shrouded in secrecy so there are no figures published as to exactly how much of the U.K.’s wheat harvest is used for the production of ethanol.

A farmer friend admitted to me a couple of years ago that he was given a guaranteed amount per tonne from a fuel company that far exceeded the price from millers

I found this online but no statistics;

Due to the sensitive nature of the information, usage of wheat by the bioethanol industry is not published as a separate entity to flour millers. That said, a good indication of the general level of wheat used in the UK for bioethanol and starch is captured under the ‘Other flour’ production category.

jenpax Thu 27-Aug-20 09:37:57

Food prices are already very high here and I dread the bills going up even higher!

mittenma Thu 27-Aug-20 09:54:07

@NotSpaghetti There wasn't a shortage caused by a 30% reduction in the wheat crop last time! climate impacts around the world aren't going to go away, whatever size of bag of flour you want!

Whitewavemark2 Thu 27-Aug-20 09:55:52

A lot of our cereal is also used to feed animals

grandMattie Thu 27-Aug-20 10:01:59

Missfoodlove

Stock up while you can!!
Great advice....... let’s create another shortage.

agree! why can't people be generous, or even just replace what they have used?

NotSpaghetti Thu 27-Aug-20 10:04:38

mittenma - yes. Exactly. That's what I said???

sandelf Thu 27-Aug-20 10:08:28

Maybe we'll have to eat a little less things with wheat in. Pies, cakes, biscuits, bread, pasta - would do most of us good. Sorry to be a bit po faced about it, but as someone who can't eat wheat without getting a hangover, I suspect it is not really good for a lot of people, but they don't know it.

WOODMOUSE49 Thu 27-Aug-20 10:09:32

The food consumed in the UK is the cheapest in Western Europe - costing 8% less than the EU average, according to EU statistical body Eurostat. It is also much cheaper in relative terms than the food bought by Britons' parents and grandparents.

Arable farmers grow what’s needed to meet a demand. A good harvest is when all the seed farmers sow grows. I’m not a farmer but why should we expect the farmer then lower the price?

Cost of bread, flour and cereal hasn’t gone up in my supermarket. I bought one of each yesterday, as I do every week.

We all saw and heard of those struggling to get essentials during lockdown. I’ve been very disappointed to read on here others being encouraged to stockpile.

Shortlegs Thu 27-Aug-20 10:18:56

Quick!! Rush out, panic buy, don't delay. There is a very strong rumour that unicorns will be scarce. Lots of love, Project Fear

Callistemon Thu 27-Aug-20 10:24:19

The food consumed in the UK is the cheapest in Western Europe - costing 8% less than the EU average, according to EU statistical body Eurostat. It is also much cheaper in relative terms than the food bought by Britons' parents and grandparents.

It is, *WOODMOUSE^

I think the UK is about 3rd on the list of countries which spend the lowest proportion of average income on food.

That is not to say that some people are not struggling but our food is relatively cheap.

minxie Thu 27-Aug-20 10:27:04

Hunt out Keto King bread on u tube, it’s flour free and just amazing. I only have this now and don’t bother with any other bread

Rosalyn69 Thu 27-Aug-20 10:56:36

On another food note - there’s a poor blueberry harvest (in the US) so I wonder what other food shortages we can look forward to during the Winter.

merlotgran Thu 27-Aug-20 10:56:49

Farmers who haven't already sold their milling wheat will hang on to it now to get a higher price if they are in a financial situation where they can do that.

It happened with potatoes after the 1976 drought. Supply and demand.

Who can blame them? It's often the other way round with supermarkets squeezing the life out of them.

netflixfan Thu 27-Aug-20 11:04:33

Can you freeze flour? Asking for a friend

Gwenisgreat1 Thu 27-Aug-20 11:12:06

I am ordering more plain and SF flour from Asda this week, but they are quite small packets that are available. Might have to resort to getting a large sack if it is going to be difficult to get - heaven knows where I'll keep it!!

Missfoodlove Thu 27-Aug-20 11:30:14

I make all my own bread, a bag of flour goes a long way!

When you have kneaded proved, baked etc you tend not to waste, partly because it’s so delicious it gets eaten and because you appreciate the finished product so much more.

I’m sure a large percentage of supermarket bread is binned.

Missfoodlove Thu 27-Aug-20 11:31:22

Just googled it! 44% of supermarket bread is thrown.