Kolkata’s dear Christmas bakes set to be dearer on soaring flour & edible oil prices
In Kolkata, the prices of cakes, cookies, and biscuits are set to rise ahead of Christmas due to increased costs of wheat flour, cooking oil, and palm oil. The price of atta and maida has surged, while edible oils like palm and mustard have also seen significant hikes, partly due to higher import duties. Bakeries face challenges balancing costs with affordability, especially smaller ones.
KOLKATA: A little more than a month ahead of Christmas, the city’s favoured festival bakes look all set to be dearer. Cakes and cookies will most likely burn a hole in the pockets, thanks to increasing prices of wheat flour (both maida and atta) and cooking oil.Across all varieties, biscuit prices have already increased by Rs 5 for each 300-gram packet. While a 1kg packet of atta was Rs 45 on Oct 10, it went up to Rs 48 within 10 days. On Nov 5, the packet was marked at Rs 52. Unpackaged atta saw a one-time increase from Rs 35 to Rs 40 per kilo.
Packaged maida, on the other hand, went from Rs 48 per kilo on Oct 10 to Rs 50 on Oct 20 and touched Rs 55 on Nov 5. Unpackaged maida went from Rs 35 to Rs 40. Prices of edible oil – another key ingredient for holiday bakes and snacks – have also gone up, compounding challenges for bakers. Palm oil prices have surged by as much as 37% over the past month, while mustard oil has become dearer by 29%, largely due to increased import duties and global price hikes. According to Posta Merchant Association sources, in Sept, govt raised import duties on crude palm, soybean and sunflower oils from 5.5% to 27.5%, and on refined edible oils from 13.7% to 35.7%, pushing up prices for oils used in most Indian kitchens. Grocery retailers and small bakeries in city hit hardSuccessive price hikes have hit grocery retailers the hardest.“
The price of daily items has gone up twice in just 20 days. All companies have raised biscuit prices by Rs 5. We have to invest more, sales are going down and our profit isn’t increasing,” said grocer Arindam Pradhan.While shoppers brace for a costlier holiday season, the city’s bakers and confectioners are facing a double challenge — keeping their products affordable for festive buyers while balancing production costs. Small bakeries that produce handmade cakes and cookies are feeling the pinch even more than large-scale producers. Most bakery owners feel a price rise is inevitable before Christmas.Sheikh Wasim Kader, who runs a bakery in central Kolkata, however, said bakers could not increase the prices of cakes, cookies or biscuits at the same rate as the hike in the prices of flour and oil. “We need a decision from bakers’ associations to take that call. Christmas is approaching and we can’t stock up on cakes, with the uncertainties over prices. We’re unsure of what steps to take,” he said.
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