Abbas Haidar, spokesman for the Beqaa Bakeries and member of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Bakery Syndicate, indicated that “after we had several meetings at the Ministry of Economy and pickets in front of the mills in the Beqaa and held press conferences on an ongoing basis.”

Haidar noted: “Our mission, as bakeries in all Lebanese lands, is to produce bread, and not to supply flour and wheat from outside Lebanon, which is the task of the state, in particular the Ministry of Economy with mills” .

He explained that “all bakeries in Lebanon are suffering from the distribution of buns that are not sent to any mill. We want to deliver a loaf of bread to citizens as quickly and safely as possible.”

He added, “We have asked the Ministry of Economy and the state to set up a crisis cell as soon as possible so that there is wheat in all regions,” noting that “Bekaa Mill has been closed for a month and a half due to lack of wheat.”

He pointed out that “both the Beirut and Mountain Lebanese Furnaces Syndicate and the entire Syndicate of Syndicates, they demanded from the beginning of the abolition of subsidies for Extra, Zero and Platinum flour that there be strict control over bakeries, mills and merchants”, explaining that “neither me and the syndicate do not cover any bakery and the judiciary must prosecute the violators, and we have asked the Financial Prosecutor, Judge Ali Ibrahim, to intervene in the flour smuggling that is sold on the black market.

He emphasized: “We are not supporters of a strike and loss of bread, so we extend a helping hand to the Ministry of Economy, the minister and the state to help,” noting that “you were informed today at the large southern mills that distribute the largest amount of flour to the south, in the Moscow region and some other areas, today is the last day of surrender.

He indicated that “on the 15th of this month, a ship with a cargo of 25,000 tons will arrive, and it will take 5 days to carry out analyzes on it. It is expected that between the 20th and 21st of this month, all mills will return to work,” stressing that “in Lebanon, there are no shortages of bread, but rationing.”