The repercussions of the wheat crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine are becoming apparent in Lebanon. In the south, mills halted deliveries of flour to manakish and marquq bakeries as well as pastry shops, limiting deliveries to Arabic bread bakeries through vouchers from the Ministry of Economy, according to Ali Ramal, a representative of the mills in the south. He stated that "this has created confusion, panic, and disruption in the southern market, especially since thousands of families rely on this vital sector, and now they are threatened in their livelihoods."
Ramal pointed out that deliveries are restricted solely to Arabic bread bakeries, based on vouchers issued by the Ministry of Economy. This situation has led to confusion and panic in the southern market, particularly because thousands of families depend on this essential sector, with their livelihoods now in jeopardy. He urged the Minister of Economy to find a specific mechanism to support this sector, even if it involves reducing quotas for larger bakeries and finding a fair solution between the bread and manakish sectors, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation and the limited quantity of available wheat.
Meanwhile, Minister of Industry George Bouchkian mentioned that "preventative measures have been taken since last week to address any crises related to food security." He clarified that "credits will be opened for wheat ships currently at sea, and additional ships are on the way. We have enough stock for about a month and a half, and we are working to extend this period through flour rationing. Four ships will arrive successively, but work is ongoing to develop a strategic plan for entering a rationing period, with the priority of distributing wheat for bread production."
He added, "We are in contact with Canada and Australia to secure a large wheat shipment (about 50 million tons), which is why we decided to implement rationing until it arrives, as the distance is significant."
On the other side, Antoine Saif, head of the bakers' union in Mount Lebanon, revealed that "there are ships anchored at sea with promises that within 24 hours, eight wheat ships will be unloaded as soon as their credits are opened." He added that with the cargo from these ships and the existing quantities in mills, the wheat stock should be sufficient for approximately a month and a half to two months.
Regarding the provision of flour not designated for Lebanese bread, Saif stated, "No official decision has been issued to halt its delivery; the matter has remained merely discussed in the media." He noted, "We informed the Minister of Economy that no decision would be issued on this matter because it would create panic among citizens and would not ultimately solve the problem, as it would increase demand for Lebanese bread." He announced that "according to this basis, mills will resume delivering flour designated for non-Lebanese bread to bakeries normally starting tomorrow morning."
