For the fourth year in a row, the Lebanese welcomed the month of Ramadan, in light of tragic economic conditions, which diminished their joy at the advent of the holy month.
With the beginning of the holy month, the most popular types of sweets loved by fasting people in all Lebanese regions were absent from the Ramadan breakfast table, such as “Ramadan bagels” and “Qatayef with cream”, due to the significant increase in their prices due to the increase in the cost of raw materials that go into their preparation, such as nuts, pistachios, sugar and milk. And even flour.
A significant increase in the prices of sweets.. and the priority for the main breakfast dish
Sources in the Crisis Observatory at the American University of Beirut, “a research initiative aimed at studying the repercussions of the multiple crises in Lebanon,” estimated to “Sky News Arabia” that “the cost of basic breakfast for a family of 5 exceeds 6 million pounds per day.”
The owner of a sweets factory in Beirut told “Sky News Arabia” that the price of 12 pieces of “qatayef cream” amounted to 9 dollars (about one million pounds at present), while the price of a piece of “kulaj” candy, consisting of chips with ghee, sugar and cream, amounted to two dollars (about 200 thousand). lire).
Lebanese complained in their interview with “Sky News Arabia” about the absence of sweets in Ramadan from their tables, after the concern of families became limited to securing the main dish for breakfast.
In order to face the high prices of sweets, many housewives are preparing them at home to reduce costs.
Imaginary prices..and manufacturers justify
The prices of Ramadan sweets for this year have increased significantly compared to previous years, which manufacturers attribute to the high production costs, the prices of raw materials, and the high cost of fuel and gas.
On a tour of some of the famous stores in Beirut, the insane rise in the prices of different types of sweets appears. The price of a kilo of “Daouqieh”, which is a Beiruti dessert made of pistachio flour, cream and sugar, is $15 per kilo, which is approximately one and a half million Lebanese pounds, which is equivalent to Half the salary of an ordinary employee in official state institutions.
Charitable societies in Lebanon mobilized to collect financial donations and aid from grains, dates, oils and cheese, to secure sufficient funding for initiatives aimed at helping citizens in the holy month.
Officials of some of these associations told Sky News Arabia that most of these associations launched “fasting breakfast” campaigns aimed at providing daily meals before breakfast, including soup, rice and dessert, to facilitate the beneficiaries, whose number has greatly increased this year.
