Marketing Spreads for White Bread

The consumption of bread per person has been declining for many years, but only a few foods have a greater retail value in the farm-food market basket. In 1963 the average retail price of a 1-pound loaf of white bread was at an all-time high of 21.6 cents--0.4 cent higher than the 1962 price and 60 percent higher than the 1947-49 average. Consumers paid more for bread each year during 1947-63 than in the preceding year. The increase of 1.9 percent in 1963 was smaller than the average annual increase of 3.5 percent since 1947