Today at noon, the Ministries of Economy, Agriculture, and Interior are holding their first "Crisis Cell" meeting to monitor the situation of mills and how to distribute flour quantities to bakeries. This will significantly control the areas of smuggling and sales in the black market, which account for about 30 percent of the quantities available in the market. Minister of Economy and Trade Amin Salam explained to "Nidaa Al-Watan" that during today's meeting, a mechanism will be established between the Ministry of Economy and security agencies to begin strict daily monitoring by military intelligence and security forces at bakeries, focusing on how bakeries consume supported flour from the mill to the bakery, and verifying the vouchers delivered to the bakeries.
Regarding how to regulate the amounts of flour consumed for Arabic bread and separate them from those used in making pastries, croissants, and cakes, Salam clarified that this will be done through tables that will include information about each bakery, regarding the previously requested amount of flour and the current amounts requested, as well as the duration it can last. For instance, if a bakery consumes a specific amount of flour sufficient for a month to make Arabic bread but has now reduced to only ten days, they will investigate how that order is being utilized.
Notably this time, according to Salam, the monitoring exerted by the Ministry of Economy will be supported by the public prosecution, which will also inspect mills and bakeries, checking the quantities of supported flour and the vouchers given to bakeries.
As for the quantities of wheat currently available, Salam confirmed that there are about 25,000 tons of wheat that can last for about three weeks. 15,000 tons arrived about four days ago, along with an existing stock of 10,000 tons. Additionally, around 15,000 tons are expected to arrive, along with new orders on the way, indicating, according to Salam, "that there is enough flour supply for more than a month." He confirmed that "the funds are available and are being utilized from special drawing rights, and orders are coming in," noting that "the $150 million World Bank loan will begin to be utilized in about a month."
Regarding the countries from which Lebanon currently imports wheat, they are still "Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, and neighboring countries." About the agreement made by the Food Security Committee yesterday, concerning the establishment of a direct mechanism for the Lebanese state to purchase quantities of wheat and crops from Lebanese farmers, Salam explained, "We will check the quantities of wheat available with farmers, estimated at 50,000 tons, which is a good amount covering the stock for a month and a half."
Regarding the suitability of this wheat for making bread, he clarified that "part of the wheat is soft and can be used for Arabic bread, while another part is hard but can be mixed with soft wheat to make it suitable for bread production. By purchasing this wheat, we support Lebanese farmers and provide wheat in the market."
As for how its price will be calculated, he clarified that it will be "according to the exchange rate of the dollar in the black market, with payment for the purchase made in Lebanese pounds equivalent to the dollar value, and of course it will align with the global wheat price, which is currently averaging around $450 per ton without shipping and reaches $520 including shipping costs."
