KEY POINTS:
Bakers on Rarotonga fear for their future if Cook Islands consumers keep buying imported New Zealand bread which is $1 a loaf cheaper.
Rarotonga bakers association president Kervin Aroita issued a statement saying if consumers support imported bread, the local bakeries would be forced to lay staff off and ultimately local families would move overseas, Cook Islands News reported this week.
He said local breads were freshly baked daily, with all day-old bread returned to bakeries.
Not supporting the local bakeries would cut taxes paid to government, and sponsorships for schools, churches, sports or charities.
"The local bakeries contribute over half a million dollars every year and that will reduce or be gone (if there is no support) ... to keep the economy going we have to keep supporting the locally made products, and we should encourage exports instead of imports."
Mr Aroita said the volume of production in New Zealand meant it sourced materials at better cost compared with the small volume produced on Rarotonga.
- NZPA
