New fibre-rich flour will be used in bread making to better govern grain system

A new fibre-rich flour will be used in bread making as part of an initial experiment launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries. This flour, extracted from soft wheat and rich in fibre, will be used to make baguettes with better nutritional value, but at the same price as traditional baguettes (TND 190 millime). The aim of this approach is to protect the citizen's health and better govern the grain sector, explained Ministry of Agriculture officials on Friday at an information day held in Tunis. CEO of the Grain Board Saloua Ben Hadid Zouari explained that this involves changing the method of extracting flour from soft wheat to obtain a variety rich in fibre and vitamins for bread-making, without affecting the citizen's purchasing power. "The approach consists in extracting 85 kilograms of high-fibre flour from every 100 kilograms of soft wheat, instead of 78 kilograms at present, for use in making subsidised baguettes," she added. The Department of Agriculture is using this experiment, launched as part of a comprehensive programme, to reform and ensure good governance in the grain sector. President of the Tunisian Organisation for the Consumer Information (OTIC) Lotfi Riahi told TAP that, in addition to its nutritional value, this new variety of subsidised flour will reinforce the orientation of the subsidy towards those entitled to it, because this type of flour, which includes bran, cannot be used for anything other than making bread. He added that "this new variety, unlike ordinary flour, cannot be used by manufacturers, bakers and others to make pastries and then sell them at exorbitant prices. It is also a further step in tackling the bread crisis." Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries Abdelmonem Belati pointed out that the department had had a comprehensive programme of some 10 measures to ensure good governance in the grain sector, which is one of the ministry's priorities. "These measures include optimising the profitability of imported soft wheat b y changing the composition of flour used to make bread, and achieving self-sufficiency in durum wheat (used to make pasta and couscous) given its high cost on the world markets. Belati pointed out that changing the quality of flour and the governance of the grain sector are also urgent solutions in view of climate change, especially as the grain harvest has not exceeded 0.3 million tonnes, compared with forecasts of 1.2 and 1.5 million tonnes. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse