Bread is becoming a difficult-to-access food for many people, and the industry is under strong economic pressure due to higher costs for raw materials, energy, transport, labor and logistics. This was stated by the chairwoman of the National Branch Union of Bakers and Confectioners Mariana Kukusheva on NOVA.
According to her, the cost of production changes daily, and some enterprises are already working with pressure on delivery prices. Kukusheva pointed out that the goal of the sector is not a higher price of bread, but to maintain production and consumption.
What the industry is proposing
The union is offering the state three possible steps to keep bread affordable. Among them are preserving the free competitive market, the possibility of returning the zero VAT and a clear decision on who would compensate for the difference if price regulation is introduced.
Kukusheva also pointed out the vulnerable groups for whom the message is most urgent - pensioners, socially disadvantaged and low-income households. According to her, there is currently no response to the proposals of the bread producers.
The dispute over the new register
The head of the industry union also commented on the planned new food register, stating that the organizations in the sector have supported a common position against it. Their argument is that the additional administrative burden leads to higher costs and ultimately affects the final price.
At the same time, the Minister of Agriculture has referred questions about taxes to the Minister of Finance, and with regard to prices, he has indicated that the Euro Adoption Act protects consumers from unjustified price increases.
According to the National Statistical Institute, in August 2026 the price of white bread increased by 0.4 percent compared to the previous month, and the average annual inflation for the period September 2025 - August 2026 is 5 percent. Statistical data also show an increase in the price of some basic foods in the summer, which further burdens households.
The topic of the price of bread remains sensitive because it affects both producers and consumers. The industry insists on predictability, and the state is faced with the question of how to combine market pressure, the social function of the staple food and tax policy.
Sources: NOVA, National Statistical Institute