Bakeries in Lebanon are about to get pretty crowded. As of Monday, April 20th, Lebanese bakeries will stop distributing bread and only sell their bread production in the bakeries.
This means that local supermarkets will not be receiving or selling the Lebanese food staple.
The National News Agency reported that this decision came as a result of a disagreement between members of the Union of Bakery Owners and the Minister of Economy and Trade, Raoul Nehme.
The union issued a statement in which they expressed their “deep regret” that the two parties disagreed upon the cost of a pack of bread. To avoid changing the price of bread, the union will sell bread solely at bakeries. The price of bread is stable at its current value 1,500LL per bag and 1,000LL in Tripoli.
In February, the Union of Bakery Owners announced a strike calling for the government to keep subsidy on wheat so the price of bread does not change.
The Lebanese government has been considering importing wheat for the first time in six years, according to The Daily Star.
“Importing wheat would further strain a budget already depleted by an outflow of dollars and a halt in remittances from the many Lebanese living overseas,” said the report.
“With the economy in recession, Lebanon must also contend with potential interruptions in domestic and foreign food supplies — including the wheat needed to make bread, a local staple — as a result of the pandemic,” added The Daily Star.
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