Tunisia's populist President Saied declares 'war' on on food speculators, amid wheat shortage triggered by Ukraine invasion

Tunisia's populist president Kais Saied has declared 'war' on food speculators amid a spike in prices and shortage of food products in the North African country triggered in part by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, one of the world's top suppliers of wheat.

"It is a relentless war against the criminal monopolists,” proclaimed Saeid in a video published by the Tunisian presidency on Wednesday, as he accused them of “striking on social peace and security in society.”

Over the past weeks, Tunisian markets witnessed sharp shortages in key staples goods such as flour, oil, sugar, bread, and rice.

Empty supermarket shelves in Tunis (e.g. subsidised staples like semolina/vegetable oil) due to a crisis of payment - a situation that is likely to exacerbate with Russia/Ukraine war and soaring prices for wheat, fertiliser, veg oil...for background read, https://t.co/gdxr12OrKF pic.twitter.com/mCEKN8n1DA

— Katharina Grüneisl (@katharinagrneis) March 8, 2022

State media announced Thursday the seizure of 1 tonne of what it said were illegally stockpiled goods in a storehouse in ElDjem, in centralTunisia. Similar seizures were announced during the past weeks, in different cities around the country.

Saied has also promised legislation introducing prison sentences as a penalty for food speculation and profiteering.

As the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan looms, Tunisians and Muslims across MENA are concerned by further inflation in prices of key ingredients in daily meals, considering the rise of demand usually seen this month.

Alleged monopoly and speculation may not be the only factor to blame for the ongoing food crisis in the North African country. The war in Ukraine also threatens food safety in Tunisia, as Tunis imports about half of its wheat from Kyiv. Wheat is essential for the types of bread consumed in the Arab world that account for a big chunk of the population's daily calorific intake.

The wheat crisis led to long waiting lines in front of bakeries, as their owners threatened to raise bread prices or shut down alltogether.

"Our bakery's productivity decreased by almost 50% due to the crisis, people keep waiting by hours waiting for bread, but we have nothing to do. We are all victims of this crisis. (...) many bakeries shut their shops due to this wheat shortage," said Mehrez, a worker in a bakery in the southeastern city of Sfax.

Tunisian government subsidises cetrain bakeries, as their owners receive a quintal of flour for six dinars (roughly $2), instead of 100 dinars ($33), in addition to monthly financial support estimated at 2,124 dinars ($708).

However, Some bakeries owners say that they did not receive the monthly amount of 'cash subsidies' the government allocated to them for more than 10 months.

Named ‘Neemat Rebbi’ (the Godseed), bread is a vital meal companion for Tunisians and a political symbol for their 2011 uprising against the Zain Al Abedin Ben Ali regime.

Mired in a one-decade-long economic crisis, Tunisia began talks in February with the International Monetary Fund over a potential multi-billion-dollar bailout for the country's pandemic-hit economy.

The lender voiced concerns about the country’s spending on subsidies budget and Saeid’s last seizure of extraordinary powers in July.

President Saied stand accused of leading a constitutional coup since July 2021 that has plunged the country into an ongoing economic and political crisis.