Close to 300 bakeries shut their doors in Jordan since the government lifted bread subsidies last year, Head of the Bakeries Union, Abdel Elah Al Hamawi, told Al Rai newspaper.

Prior to this, 2,000 bakeries operated throughout the kingdom, with the average annual consumption of wheat reaching about 960 thousand tons, equivalent to 80 thousand tons per month.

Al Hamawi said that the union is currently investigating the reason behind the businesses shutting up shop, after the amount of bread and baked goods produced changed over the past few months, due to human consumption going down by 30%.

Following the government’s life-changing decision, large round bread increased to 32 piastres per kg, small round bread became 40 piastres per kg and large flatbread went up to 35 piastres per kg.

Al Hamawi stressed that bakeries are obliged to sell bread at the exact prices set by the government.

After lifting the subsidies, the government decided that a total of JDs 26.4 per individual per year will be paid in cash to the Jordanian deserving segments, while a total of JDs 33 will be paid per individual per year for the beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund, and a total of JDs 27 will go to residents from the Gaza Strip.