The Association of Bakers and Confectioners in the Czech Republic said that an increase in the price of bread should be expected this year, due to rising costs of raw materials and energy, as well as concerns about the Ukrainian workforce. However, they expect no shortage of bread.

Up to 15% of Ukrainian employees are in Czech bakeries, according to the association, some of which have started returning to Ukraine. “We are still seeing a relatively small outflow of Ukrainian employees back to their homeland. But it is likely to continue in the coming weeks. We believe that this outage will soon be covered by newcomers who were forced to leave their homes in a hurry and settle in the Czech Republic. The members of our union are ready to employ these newcomers. We are currently monitoring the demand for up to 1,500 employees in the bakery industry, ”said Bohumil Hlavatý, Executive Director of the Association of Bakers and Confectioners in the Czech Republic, in a recent statement.

Representatives of the union were assured in a personal meeting with the Minister of Agriculture that bakery and food production generally fall under critical infrastructure, so they do not currently have to worry about drastic cuts in gas supplies. “In the production of wheat, the Czech Republic is more or less self-sufficient. However, we expect that if global grain production decreases, its price will increase,” added Hlavatý. While it is difficult to predict how the situation will develop further, the association is confident that supply chains and production will be at least partially reassured, and that there will be no sharp rise in prices.

The Association of Bakers and Confectioners in the Czech Republic (SPaC CR) currently has 130 members – bakeries and confectioneries, suppliers of machinery, raw materials, services and food schools.

Photo: Astronomical Clock in Prague. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels