Côte d'Ivoire: the price of baguette bread does not increase, but its weight decreases

A baker prepares bread in the Abobo district on the outskirts of Abidjan.

March 24, 2022. AFP - ISSOUF SANOGO

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

In Côte d'Ivoire, to cope with soaring wheat prices and inflation aggravated by the war in Ukraine, the government has announced a number of measures, particularly around bread.

Bread is a widely consumed food in Côte d'Ivoire.

The price of the baguette is also fixed by the State.

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With our correspondent in Abidjan,

Pierre Pinto

Although Côte d'Ivoire is less dependent on imports of Russian and Ukrainian wheat than some of its neighbours,

it is bearing the brunt

of the consequences of soaring wheat prices on the international market like everyone else.

The country, a big consumer of bread, imports nearly 500,000 tons of wheat a year.

The government has therefore announced the abolition of customs duties on imported wheat, taxed until then at 5% on entry into the country, as well as financial support for those involved in the production of wheat flour.

How long will these aids last?

And how much is this “financial support”?

No details for the moment, but the government wishes to reduce the risk of shortages.

Also among the announcements: lines of guarantee for the bakery sector as well as subsidies for "

one to two billion CFA francs

" indicated Wednesday the government spokesman, Amadou Coulibaly, who also mentioned the launch of a study on taxation adapted to the bakery.

But the most emblematic measure concerns the very symbolic baguette, the price of which has been set by the State for years at 150 F. Recently, bakers' organizations have been calling for an increase in the price of the baguette.

The government chooses to maintain its price at 150 F, but to

reduce its weight by around thirty grams

, to 174 g.

A larger baguette of 232 g will be offered at 200 F.

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