Lebanese Minister says wheat enough for only 45 days
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Lebanon's wheat supplies are depleting and will only last another month and a half, according to Economy Minister Amin Salam.
Lebanon's wheat supplies are depleting and will only last another month and a half, according to Economy Minister Amin Salam.
While speaking to the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International, Salam stated that "The reserves of wheat total 45,000 tonnes, enough for a month and a half."
Salam stated in May that the World Bank had approved Beirut's request for a $150 million emergency loan to cover wheat imports.
Mohammad Seifeddine, the director-general of the official Lebanese Economic and Social Council, told Sputnik in March that the nation buys 65 percent of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine. As a result, the government must identify full-fledged alternative sources to satisfy the demands, depending on the availability of the appropriate quantity of cash for the acquisition, according to the expert.
Since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, world leaders and international organizations have expressed alarm about an impending and large-scale food crisis, citing interruptions in supply chains, rising prices, and crop output in one of the world's top gain producers. Russia and Ukraine are predicted to contribute 30% of world wheat exports, 20% of maize exports, and 76% of sunflower exports.
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Food costs have risen multiple times in Lebanon as a result of the ongoing financial and economic crisis. Most Lebanese make around $40 per month. According to UNICEF, more than 70% of Lebanese households would be unable to afford a daily ration of food by 2021.
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