Skopje, 7 May 2024 (MIA) — International grain prices are fluctuating but the price of bread in the country will remain the same in the next couple of months, according to bread industry representatives.

According to Agribusiness Chamber president and Specijal baking company CEO Goran Gjorgjievski speaking to the press before a Macedonian Chambers of Commerce event, the industry had much bigger problems than the price of grain: liquidity and an outflow of workers.

Gjorgjievski said that Russia's war in Ukraine would infuence the wheat harvest in those countries, which in turn would impact the grain commodity market. "FAO pointed out that the price of grain would be up by some percentage," he said, adding that the price increase would not be significant, however, and the Agribusiness Chamber would ensure that the prices of basic food items like bread and baked goods remained the same.

"The great pressure we have been under is of a different nature and has lasted for the past year, at least," Gjorgjievski said. "It is the large outflow of human resources into Western and tourist countries such as Greece and Croatia."

"The liquidity of companies facing a lack of finances has also been a problem," he said, adding that banks had high interest rates and made access to loans difficult.

"I would pinpoint the problems there. We feel more pressure from the lack of human resources. We also had an increase in the minimum wage. All this reflects on the companies. They have larger expenses for this than for raw materials, which have a stable price at the moment," Gjorgjievski said.

On April 23, at another event organized by the Macedonian Chambers of Commerce, he had also said bread prices would remain the same for the timebeing. mr/