The price of Maltese bread is set to double in the wake of the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine and its devastating effect on flour exportation, PN spokesperson Peter Agius has warned.

Speaking in a video uploaded to social media, Agius said that industry experts are warning that the price of flour is set to increase by almost 60%, which will have a major effect on bakers and consumers across the country.

Sources have suggested that the price of Maltese bread could jump up from roughly €1.10 to €2 over the new few weeks.  

Agius said that prices had already increased by 10% and any further increases will have a major impact on the cost of living and lower-income families who depend on bread as a vital nutrition resource.

Ukraine and Russia, which are sometimes referred to as the breadbasket of the world, provide a wealth of grains, cereals, oils, wheat and flour to the entire world. They are one of the biggest exporters in the world and the war will undoubtedly impact supplies.

The problem in Malta is two-fold. On one hand, the supply is vital for animal feed since local mills import from abroad before producing the feed in the country. That affects everything from meat to dairy.

On the other hand, the flour local bakers use to produce bread relies heavily on foreign supplies, since all the wheat is imported before being milled in Malta.

Malta’s government has set aside €200 million to deal with the impact of the invasion, but it remains to be seen what can be done to keep prices stable.

However, hoarding of goods is currently a major problem with EU member states ready to keep hold of their supply ahead of a predicted shortage, similarly to what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agius warned that member states will be restricting exportation to Malta and he has written to the EU Commission to investigate the practice since it goes against EU rules.

“We need to use our EU privileges to ensure the price is not affected,” he said.