Reports | 25 05 2020
Local councils in the governorate of Idlib oversee all bakeries, whether they are managed by the governorate or other organizations. They are responsible for securing and distributing flour and all other requisite supplies.
“The price of bread dramatically increases when the supply of flour is cut off, and those who set the price are those who provide bakeries with flour. This is the heart of the problem,” said the engineer Ahmad al-Shamali, head of the local council in the town of Kafr Uwaid in Mount Zawia.
How does the Governorate Council work?
Rozana spoke with Duraid Rahmoon, bread committee member in Marrat al-Numaan, and he explained how the Governorate Council works. “The council is in charge of operations and production of bread in the bakeries, and makes sure that bread prices are reasonable enough that people can afford them, but also competitive enough so that the bakers can earn some income, “he said. “We undertook several studies that took the cost of production into consideration when using the flour that we procure. We also add in local flour so that bread production can continue for a longer period,” he added.
Rahmoon also pointed out that the amount of flour given to each bakery is decided by the council, and that the Turkish Red Crescent and the opposition-affiliated Grain Foundation have provided the council with a lot of assistance.
The Role of Local Councils
According to Duraid Rahmoon, the Governorate Council of Idlib, in cooperation with the Turkish government and the Interim Syrian Government’s Grain Foundation, has sought to activate the role of the local councils through a set of agreements that put the local councils in charge of bakery management.
Rahmoon also stated, “the local councils have been doing a great job—they conduct field studies, choose the right bakeries, and monitor production and distribution in order to prevent any monopolies.”
However, because the private bakeries buy flour from private suppliers, the price of bread varies greatly, and there is a significant difference in bread prices between private bakeries and those managed by the opposition and the Afad Project.
Afad and the Governorate Council
The Idlib Governorate Council provided flour in coordination with the Turkish Red Crescent, while the opposition-affiliated General Foundation for Grains began the Afad Project.
“We, in the governorate of Idlib, have contracted with 49 bread bakeries. The average amount of flour they receive collectively is 124 tons per day. Our team consists of 35 officials, who monitor prices and bread quality,” said Ziad Tabash, member of the Governorate Council of Idlib and head of the flour and bakeries committee.
When asked about the challenges they face, Tabash said, “The only issue we face is that we lack sustainability. Because of the lack of support organizations, our project works for a couple of months, and then it stops for another couple of months.”
Private Bakeries and Price Challenges
Private bread bakeries have more flexibility. Although their prices are higher than those of the local councils’ bakeries, they do not face the same kind of challenges—125 to 150 Syrian pounds is the price of one bag of bread sold by private bakeries, while it is sold for 100 Syrian pounds by the local councils’ bakeries.
“In addition to labor, the price of flour has risen because of the rate of the US dollar has risen as well, which also affected the price of fuel. These are the issues we face,” said Abu Khaled, the owner of a private bread bakery in Marrat al-Numaan in rural Idlib.
“The high prices of private bakery bread forced people to buy from the local councils’ bakeries, although the former is much better in quality,” said Hussain al-Ragheb, a man from Marrat al-Numaan.
Bread is the most basic and most important food for Syrians. In times when 70% of the country’s people live under poverty line, securing bread has become a great challenge for many. Local councils and human organizations need to find long-term solutions to reduce bread prices.