The association was reacting to criticism in Curchorem and Sanvordem that the price of bread has been hiked, but its size has remained the same.
The association said that rather than critiquing the bakers, people should criticize the government for not supporting the bakers or the hotels that “are increasing the prices of items like pav bhajji.”
Association President Peter Fernandes said that it was wrong for people to criticise the bakers when they had not hiked the price but offered it at Rs 5 and Rs 3 and that it depends on the people’s choice.
Saying that the Rs 5 bread is the popular choice because of its larger size, Peter said that the bakers were compelled to take this decision to survive in the business and that they have not compromised on quality while indirectly criticising the quality of bread being produced by migrant bakers.
Asserting that they take pains to ensure that Goans get their bread the way they have been for generations, Peter said that people were wrong in saying that bakers are given subsidy when in reality they receive no subsidy.
He criticised the government for not following through with the subsidy scheme and working out various technical issues that led to its failure while at the same time the government was providing subsidy to fishermen, toddy tappers, dairy farmers and cultivators.
He also wondered why there was no hue and cry over the hotels and restaurants increasing the rate of pav bhaji or other items that are served with bread and that the same was not the problem of the bakers.
If the prices of essential commodities and materials required by bakers come down then, he said, the bakers would consider bringing down the price of bread for the benefit of the public.
But that as of now they are forced to take this decision or their businesses would have collapsed, he said.
