Milan, 7 April (LaPresse) – The conflict in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could have an impact on the prices of bread and baked goods sold in bakeries across the peninsula. The Lombardy Bakers’ Union has reported difficulties in absorbing the rise in energy costs and has not ruled out price increases for rolls and loaves. "This war is bringing us a fairly indiscriminate rise in prices, the full extent of which has not yet been seen. We are already seeing the impact on fuel, whilst as for electricity and gas bills, the current mood suggests increases of 40%, which are significant figures for us. So far, we have absorbed the costs. For Easter, even the colombe were sold with only a slight increase, whereas now we face the real problem, which is quantifying what will happen. If the Strait of Hormuz isn’t opened soon, we’ll have major problems.” These are the words of Roberto Ticozzi, vice-president of the Lombardy Bakers’ Union and owner of a historic bakery opened in 1946 in the Città Studi area of Milan. ‘We are a basic necessity; we have various types of bread – there are standard loaves, but there are also those requiring more complex preparation, such as the michetta, which involve a great deal of processing time, so it is a problem,’ continued Ticozzi. "We are now trying to keep prices under control because it is difficult not only for us but also for our customers. ‘Trade associations are in constant contact with the Government; the problem is that, faced with such significant increases, we don’t receive responses back quickly enough. It is largely up to us to absorb these costs – these sudden spikes or resurgences in costs – that we find ourselves having to contend with,’ he concluded.
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