"We are facing a shortage of wheat reserves in some flour mills," said the head of the Bakery Owners Union in Mount Lebanon Antoine Seif. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
BEIRUT — The head of the Bakery Owners Union in Mount Lebanon Antoine Seif announced on Tuesday that bread may no longer be available in sufficient quantities in bakeries due to shortages of wheat and flour in the country.
Here’s what we know:
• "We are facing a shortage of wheat reserves in some flour mills because of late payments for imports, especially at the level of the opening of credit lines by the central bank,” Seif told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3). For this reason "there will be bread only in certain bakeries today," he said, adding that he “hopes the crisis will be resolved as quickly as possible.”
• On Monday, the head of Bakery Owners’ Syndicate Ali Ibrahim warned about the return of queues in front of bakeries. He told MTV that he considers Economy Minister Amin Salam’s refusal to issue new bread prices “illogical,” and claimed it has caused the majority of bakeries and mills to run out of flour.
• Lebanese bakeries have repeatedly warned against the serious crises affecting the sector due to the increase in the price of raw materials and fuel, as the Lira continues to depreciate against the dollar due to an unprecedented economic crisis.