Rice shortage amidst price skyrockets# Liberia

Amidst Ebola crisis in Liberia, many shops and
stores in Monrovia are experiencing shortages of basic
commodities, especially Liberia's staple food, rice on the
local market due to the deadly Ebola outbreak.
Mohammed Diallo, who owns a shop on the Bushrod Island,
says it has been two weeks now since his shop ran out of
stock. Diallo, who makes bulk purchases at one of the top
rice dealers in the country, SWAT says the company has
been out rice for the past few weeks. The wholesale trader
said that due to the shortage, dealers have also decided to
increase the price of a 25Kg bag of rice from US$15.00 to
US$17.00.
Two weeks ago when FrontPageAfrica made inquiry in the
wholesale price of rice, it was being sold at US$15.00, but
in recent time the price has shifted to US$17 for 25kg bag
of rice something the commerce ministry approves. Though
the government through the ministry of commerce and
Industry has approved US$17 as wholesale price for a 25kg
bag of rice, some retailers have already started selling for
US$20 in Monrovia.
Families cannot afford
Some families FPA interviewed say with such increase in
the price of rice, they find it very difficult to feed their
household. Natty Folley narrated how she used to buy and
sell palm oil and feed her family but since the Ebola
outbreak occurred, her business has slowed down
tremendously. "I used to go in the bush and buy oil for
America people, but see this thing (Ebola) have scared
many people, no one wants to come, how we will get money
to feed our family," Folley asked.
Folley, 32, reiterated that she has about ten people living
with her and she is the only breadwinner. She is afraid she
will not be able to do so if the price of rice keeps
increasing. "I went to a shop to buy the small bag of rice,
the man told me LD$1,615 right on Newport Street, so how
you expect me to buy a soup can and other things and I'm
not in business already?"
Folley is meanwhile appealing to President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf to intervene, so that businesses can reduce the
current price. She said this will allow poor people to be able
to feed their families in the midst of the Ebola situation in
the country. "Something needs to be done or else people
will die from hunger. People already worried about this
Ebola thing, then rice business comes there, the President
needs to do something."
Ministry of Commerce denial
The Ministry of Commerce has since denied any shortage of
rice on the market, but blamed price increment on vessels
being delayed at the port. Minister of Commerce and
Industry Axel Addy told FPA late last month that business
owners should not use the Ebola situation to exploit and
increase prices.
"We don't want business owners, taking advantage of the
current situation to increase prices because the operation is
going on normally," he said. "We encourage the public to
use the hotline, we will be all out there, we just dispatched
a team on the field to address this issue."