The umbrella association Schweizerischer Müller (DSM) is sounding the alarm: Because there will be around a third less grain available for bread in 2021 due to the weather, prices are likely to skyrocket soon.
The harvest this year was heavily influenced by the exceptional weather conditions in spring and hail damage in summer, the association announced on Monday.
Based on a survey by the industry organization Swiss Granum on the bread grain harvest in 2021, a good 300,000 tons of bread grain are still expected, and thus around 31 percent less harvest than in the previous year.
Lower quality of the harvest
The grain for bread and other baked goods is also of lower quality than in normal years: “Due to the weather conditions and the sometimes very late harvest, there was widespread growth,” writes the DSM.
This means that some of the grains are already germinating, which has a negative impact on quality. “The quality parameters of this year’s harvest are all well below the five-year average,” they say.
Higher prices – also in bakeries
In combination with the grain prices, which have risen sharply in recent weeks, this has resulted in a surge in costs for the milling industry. Specifically, this increase in costs compared to last year is likely to be between 10 and 12 percent on average for a Swiss mill.
The average prices on the international futures exchange MATIF have also risen by 35 percent since the beginning of July 2021.
The wave of inflation continues to spill over to the breakfast table. According to the DSM, the higher prices should therefore soon also be felt at the sales counter in the bakeries. (SDA / uro)