The donut industry is going through enormous difficulties due to the unstoppable rises in the prices of a pound of cheese, cartons of eggs, boxes of margarine and a quintal of corn, among other inputs, which are used for the daily production of tasty donuts. rosquillas from Somote and from the municipality of Yalagüina, both areas of the department of Madriz.
Three weeks ago, a quintal of corn began to cost 1,100 cordobas, its previous price was 950 cordobas. «We believe, and do not rule out, that a quintal of corn will be offered at 1,200 córdobas this week»assured Wilfredo Miranda, retailer of a basic grains stall in the vicinity of the municipal market in the city of Somoto, head of the department of Madriz.
While the box of eggs went from costing 160 to being worth 170 córdobas, and the unit is offered in eight córdobas. «A few days ago an egg cost six córdobas and now we buy it for eight pesos»said Esperanza Manzanares, a resident of Sector 17 of Somoto, in the northeast part of this town, who added that they are buying a pound of cheese for 120 córdobas, “it was worth 90 a pound”said.
Related news: Masaya furniture artisans in trouble, low sales and expensive municipal taxes
For her part, Yolanda Tercero, owner of a small donut workshop in the La Esperanza community, in the municipality of Yalagüina, Madriz area, said that the price of a box of margarine also increased. «Lately we were buying it expensive, like 2,000 córdobas a box, but now it has come to 2,300 córdobas»he pointed out.
Workshops have a bad time
Also other owners of donut workshops in the city of Somoto, in Madriz, and who did not want to be identified to avoid problems with the government, assured that for about five years they have been implementing difficult measures for that industry in order not to close , as is already the case with some seven businesses in Somoto and Yalagüina.
«We are reducing the size of the donuts and even the number of units in the packaging bags, this with the aim of not raising the price»said one of the respondents.
The owners of some 46 rosquilla workshops in Somoto and Yalagüina, in Madriz, have been facing a series of problems for years that have forced them to cut production, reduce working days and layoffs, and have to implement family labor. , while some seven workshops have already closed operations. Among the serious problems faced is the drop in sales, in the absence of buyers, mainly the absence of foreign tourists, the drop in exports to Spain, the United States and Central American countries.
Other inputs rise
In addition to increases in the prices of cheese, eggs, corn, oil or margarine, the load of firewood for lighting traditional ovens, as well as the use of gas cylinders for improved ovens, the price of panelas has also risen. sweet cane
«Every day it is more difficult to maintain a donut workshop, because sales have fallen. Let’s remember that the tourism sector generated great sales for us due to the arrival of foreign tourists, now only a few national (tourists) come but they buy very little»lamented one of the owners of a Somoteño donut production business.
By: United Voices.
