Published: 04 September 2013

According to a research conducted by the University of Zimbabwe, wheat and bread consumption per capita has through time increased in Zimbabwe.

Although bread used to be luxury product especially among the urban and rural poor, it has through time become a necessary good, a staple food.

Bread is gradually becoming an important source of carbohydrates for most house-holds especially urban families. Bread is substituting maize meal (isitshwala /sadza) and other sources of carbohydrates such as rice and potatoes.

The graph below shows the trend in the per capita consumption of wheat in sub-Saharan Africa in comparison to rice and maize.


According a study conducted by Michigan State University, wheat consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is increasing rapidly, faster than any other major food grain.

Between 2000 and 2009, per capita wheat consumption in SSA increased at a rate of 0.35 kg/year, outpacing maize and rice.

Total wheat consumption increased by nearly 650 000 metric tonnes/year. Staple grain consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa is rising at the same time that the region is becoming more dependent on imported staples.

Wheat consumed in SSA is increasingly coming from imports from non- SSA countries as wheat production in SSA has failed to keep up with growing demand.

The research by the University of Zimbabwe showed how profitable bread production is and how much Zimbabwean wheat producers would benefit if they would be the suppliers of this market.

The cost of making one standard loaf of bread is currently at US$0.84 and the composition of these costs is as follows; 38 percent flour, 16 percent premix, 18 percent overheads, 10 percent distribution, 7 percent bakery fuel and the remaining balance on other costs.


Details of the cost structure are as given in Figure 2, Bread making is viable and profitable in Zimbabwe with bakers realising a profit of US$0.16 per loaf of bread baked.

As can been seen 38 percent of the payment of the flour is going to imports. With the increasing per capita consumption rate of bread there is a vital need to resuscitate wheat production in Zimbabwe so as to benefit from the profitability of the bakery industry.
- herald

You might also want to read this

• Govt tightens screws on bread prices
• Bread supplies to improve
• Bread shortages loom
• Bread price talks on the cards
• 'Zimbabwe bread cartels should be probed'
• Bread shortages hit Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe bread shortage averted
• Bread shortages loom
• Bread prices go up
• Bread price freeze threatens firms' viability