As we reported, the Marketing Board has imported 1.5 million pounds of rice to end the current scarcity – while the Mennonite’s silos are full. It doesn’t say much for supporting local industry or maintaining food security – but the Prime Minister today explained that his government had exhausted its options with the Mennonite producers.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“I will tell you quite frankly is that this is also a tool that government is employing in its effort to drive prices down. We’ve not been able to agree with the rice producers with the price at which they should sell Marketing Board. A standing subcommittee of Cabinet has been appointed, chaired by the Minister of the Public Service, and including the Ministers of Agriculture, Economic Development, NEMO, and the Minister of State in the Ministry of Natural Resources to treat this issue, with rice, with flour, with butane gas, and hopefully we can work out a way of proceeding to the future. I have asked that subcommittee to indicate to the rice producers that nobody wants to drive them out of business.
In fact we need to encourage production in view of what I’ve said, in view of global circumstances so they can take advantage of an export market that clearly will grow by leaps and bounds. On the other hand, government has to serve notice that in an effort to protect consumers, we will insist on a fair controlled price. Already when we had this last crisis, I had some advice on the law and I see there is an instrument that actually allows government to commandeer the rice supplies when it clears that producers are hoarding the rice. Enough said.”
Belizeans consume approximately 1.3 million pounds of rice a month.
