As consumers brace for a significant price increase in bread over the coming weeks there have been calls for the creation of a commercial flour mill in Ireland.
The Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English, was asked by Fianna Fail Senator Malcolm Byrne this week if supports could be made to establish a flour mill.
Minister English said representations have been made with the bakery sector in terms of implications of flour and gas costs on the price of bread and other products, and that his Department would look into the feasibility of flour processing.
Senator Byrne raised the topic of a lack of support for those who wish to open their own mills. “There are two brothers in County Wexford, Andrew and Raymond Kavanagh, who have planning permission for a full commercial mill. They’ve yet to receive much support from Enterprise Ireland, in spite of some of the discussions around the Brexit adjustment reserve funds,” he said.
The Senator also commented that the average person in Ireland eats 54kg of flour per year, and as about a quarter of the country’s wheat comes from Ukraine there is likely to be a knock-on effect if wheat from that region isn’t contributing towards world supply.
LSL News.