Exclusive: Lebanon navigates food challenge with no grain silo and few stocks

FILE PHOTO: A view of the damaged grain silo following Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon August 7, 2020. REUTERS/Aziz Taher/File Photo

DUBAI/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Beirut's blast destroyed Lebanon's only large grain silo, with plans for another in the country's second biggest port Tripoli shelved years ago due to a lack of funding, the U.N.'s FAO, Tripoli port director and a regional grain expert told Reuters.

The destruction of the 120,000-tonne capacity structure and of the port, the main entry point for food imports, means buyers will have to rely on smaller private storage facilities for their wheat purchases, exacerbating fears of food shortages.