Bakers buying bulk water

Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
LOCAL bakers are relying on bulk water from private suppliers as council water is not available most of the time or the quality is poor, the National Bakers Association said on Tuesday. The bakers said sometimes the water had high pH of up to nine, rendering it unsafe to make bread. Water pH levels should be between three and five for bread production and when it goes higher than that, it produces bread that quickly goes bad and may also affect consumers.

Speaking before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce, National Bakers Association (NBA) president, Mr Givemore Mesoemvura said the water being supplied by the city council was of low quality and therefore not suitable for bread production.

He said the industry operated 24 hours and in most cases the water was not available.

“Three quarters of the water we use is bought. It costs $3 per 1 000 litres and we use around 120 000 litres of water per day,” he said.

The industry has been operating at 55 percent for the past two years and appealed to Government to come up with facilities to help them function viably.

If we could get loans at low interest rates of around seven percent, water and electricity charges reviewed then we will be able to operate viably, he said.

Mr Mesoemvura said some of the challenges being felt in the industry were a result of lack of co-ordination between the Grain Millers Association and the bakers.

He said if the two organisations spoke with one voice together with support from Government, the industry would improve productivity and result in the price of bread going down in the long run.

“We have been having disagreements between GMA and NBA on the quality of flour. We could not use 100 percent local flour because of quality issues and decided to use 75 percent local flour and the remaining 25 percent imported after a Memorandum of Understanding with millers.

“For the past four years we have been buying 75 percent of our flour locally and 25 percent imported.

“Only one miller has addressed the issue of quality of local flour, but the rest have not. It is our view that with these challenges addressed we can use 100 percent of our locally milled flour. The milling aspect of wheat is falling short of the quality required for bread production because of the outdated equipment we are using.

“The price of local flour is above $30 per 50 kilogramme bag while the imported flour is $25. The difference of five dollars in the industry is very significant not only to bakers, but also for consumers,” he said.

Mr Mesoemvura said the industry was also importing salt and fats that are used for bread production.

Unilever which used to produce the bakers’ fats has relocated while Olivine is not in a position to manufacture the fats.

“We use locally produced sugar, but at high costs. Since 1988 we have been importing salt from Botswana. Our equipment is also old and 70 percent of the industry relies on the old equipment. Only a few baking companies have retooled and have improved production,” he said.

The industry is also failing to borrow money as it is expensive with high interests and paid over a short term.

“Our pricing model should be reviewed. We should have internal devaluation so we can address prices of commodities,” he said.

Kwekwe Member of Parliament, Cde Masango Matambanadzo said the NBA should also appreciate Government efforts in addressing challenges being faced by the industry.

“You used to complain of high transport costs, but the price of diesel has declined and you should be grateful. You should tell us the expected price of bread if we are to address the current challenges. You are learned enough to make calculations,” he said.

Mr Mesoemvura said he could not give the actual price as a lot of things were considered before coming up with a price.

Harare City Council spokesman Mr Michael Chideme said there have never been any health concerns in Harare concerning the water.

“The quality of our water is beyond dispute. The water is being used by many people in Harare. The council collects samples regularly to check the safety of its water.

“We have not encountered any health problems concerning the water. Our water meets the World Health Organisation and Standards of Association of Zimbabwe requirements,” he said.