At a time when the Lebanese people are living in the fear of war, but more importantly, the resulting shortages, caretaker Minister of Economy Amine Salam reassuringly stated to This is Beirut, “We are covered when it comes to wheat imports.”
“Not only has Lebanon placed an order for a shipment of 30,000 tons of wheat expected to arrive at the port in two weeks, but I have also obtained approval from the World Bank to increase monthly wheat imports from 30,000 to 60,000 tons. These new volumes will take effect in the next ten days,” he revealed.
Salam stated that the available quantities of wheat in Lebanon are sufficient for approximately two months, and that these 30,000 tons ordered represent reserves for an additional month. In other words, there is no bread crisis on the horizon.
It is worth recalling that in May 2022, Lebanon and the World Bank concluded an emergency agreement worth a total of $150 million to preserve food security in Lebanon, including support for wheat imports.
