The All Goa Bakers and Confectioners’ Association on Wednesday announced that the 50g pao, which currently cos... Read More

MARGAO: Come October 10, and the humble Goan pao or unddo will be costlier by a rupee . The All Goa Bakers and Confectioners’ Association on Wednesday announced that the 50g pao, which currently costs Rs 4, will cost Rs 5 a piece.

Association president Peter Fernandes said that the rising cost of the raw material for bread made it inevitable for bakers to hike the price. However, he expressed helplessness over ensuring that the bread would be of the standard size and weight owing to the lack of any regulatory mechanism for the same.

Painting a sorry picture of traditional bakers, Fernandes lamented the failure of successive governments in coming out with any support scheme for bakers or solutions to save the traditional occupation. Pointing out that the rise of migrant bakers has posed a threat to traditional ones, he demanded that the government provide a subsidy to bakers for the purchase of bread-making machinery and marketing apparatus.

Stating that migrant bakers were selling pao at much cheaper rates, Fernandes said that the unorganised nature of the trade was harming the traditional occupation.

‘Flavour of Goan pao is missing’

The plight of Goan bakers in Goa is pitiable,” Fernandes said. “Non-Goans have entered this business and the competition is killing the traditional industry. Moreover, the traditional flavour of Goan pao is missing as non-Goans are unable the replicate the local variety. Firewood, which is the most essential requirement for bread making, is in short supply and available at exorbitant rates. Government should step in and provide support to bakers.”

Last year, in furtherance of their demand for reduction in GST rates, the association had written to then Union finance minister, Arun Jaitley, pointing out their grievances.

Fernandes said that AGBCA will soon meet chief minister Pramod Sawant and place their demands before him.

