When the baker says "the stove is out, we're turning it off", the bread will now come to the tables for 3.5 liras.
Many bakeries, which could not stand the exorbitant hikes, especially in flour prices, either closed down or were on the verge of closing due to increasing costs.
Sinan Erman, one of the baker's tradesmen, who was not protected against the economic crisis and inflation, had to close his bakery in Afyon Bolvadin.
Sinan Erman, who has been in the industry for 22 years, hung on the window that the bakery he has been running for 2 years has gone bankrupt, and said, "Our bakery has been closed due to the increasing price and costs."
He announced with the article "We were defeated by the price hikes, not the coronavirus pandemic."
Sinan Erman, in his private statements to the Milli Gazete, said that he was unemployed and could not find a way out.
“COST OF A BREAD 3.65 TL”
Baker Sinan Erman stated that flour prices have increased weekly or even daily in recent years.
"6 months ago, I was buying a sack of flour for 140 TL. Later, a sack of flour became 200 TL and soon increased to 220 TL. A sack of flour has increased to 450 TL as of March 2022, with weekly and daily hikes. I was selling 250 grams of bread for 1.5 TL 6 months ago, now a bread costs 3.65 TL and now I have to sell it for 2.50 TL. As long as a sack of flour is sold for 450 TL, the cost of a bread to bakers will continue to be 3.65 TL," he said.
“1 tin of oil we bought for 100 TL, now 700 TL”
Sinan Erman said that besides flour, other costs have increased 2-3 times in recent years.
"1 tin of oil, which we bought for 100 TL, has now increased to 700 TL. Apart from that, electricity hikes are known to all of Turkey. In addition to all these, wood, yeast, sesame, other invoice costs and employee expenses have also increased in recent years. Even the big bakeries that own the big businesses are now trying to resist these expenses. But if the exorbitant prices and hikes continue, they will lock the doors of their businesses like me. Because under these conditions, it is not easy to produce bread and operate a bakery. Even 'Halk Ekmek' is planning to make bread for 2.5 TL in Afyon. Small tradesmen have no chance if even state institutions cannot withstand these conditions," he said.
“WE ARE DEALING WITH BOTH INCREASING COSTS AND OPPORTUNISTS”
Sinan Erman stated that he prefers to close rather than sell at a loss.
"The cost of 1000 breads is more than 2,500 TL. However, if I sell 2500 loaves of bread now, I cannot buy flour for the same price. If a baker cannot buy the sack of flour he bought for 180 TL in the next week for 180 TL, there is a serious loss. We are dealing with price hikes, rising costs and opportunists. But no one is helping us. We wouldn't be in this situation now if half of the audits on small businesses were made on large companies, wholesalers and suppliers. I opened a bakery with my 20 years of experience, but I couldn't stand this market for 2 years. We succumbed to the hikes, we closed the bakery. Now I am unemployed," he said.