Videos
2 min ago
Fears for French baguettes as power prices burn bakers
The French baguette is at risk from surging energy prices, with some bakers warning they can no longer afford to fire up their ovens.
PARIS - Recently described as "250 grams of magic and perfection" by President Emmanuel Macron, the French baguette is at risk from surging energy prices, with some bakers warning they can no longer afford to fire up their ovens.
Already struggling with sharp hikes in the price of butter, flour and sugar over the last year and a half, the prized industry is now alarmed by astronomical electricity bills looming in 2023.
In a country where the availability of crusty daily bread is a political issue fraught with danger for any government, Macron's cabinet is keen to show it is doing everything possible to safeguard the nation's 35,000 bread and croissant makers.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced that bakers with a cashflow problem could ask to delay the payment of their taxes and social charges, while Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire welcomed the national bakers' federation for talks at his offices.
Le Maire acknowledged that the nation's breadmakers were "worried" and some were "in complete despair" just a month after the sector was honoured with UNESCO world heritage status.
"At the moment when the French baguette has been given world heritage status by UNESCO, there would be a real paradox in not giving everything possible to support our bakers who are struggling with the price of electricity and energy in general," he told reporters.
Existing schemes to help the industry, including direct state aid and a mechanism enabling them to demand a reduction in their electricity bill from suppliers, could help reduce the power costs for many businesses by around 40 percent, Le Maire said.
"At the moment unfortunately, this is not widely known," he added at a press conference in which he also criticised energy suppliers for not playing their part.
Although France has capped electricity prices for consumers, limiting rises to four percent in 2022 and 15 percent in 2023, no such protection exists for businesses.
Meanwhile, cut-throat competition from supermarkets means bakeries are unable to pass on major price increases to customers.