Liberia: Rice Sellers Defy Rain to Get Supplies
Flashback: Rice retailers protest shortage of the commodity in March 2022 after importers increased the price and reduced the allowed number of bags purchased at a time
It appears that the importers’ abrupt increase in the price of long-grain parboiled rice is still far from being handled.
On September 22, hundreds of people, including wholesalers, were spotted waiting in queues to purchase goods at the Fouani Brothers compound under a heavy downpour.
“I slept here just to get rice but up to now I have not gotten a bag or entry in the compound. We are living at the mercy of importers. This is heartless and inhumane to us as ordinary Liberians,” said Martin Sackie.
Sackie is one of the thousands of wholesalers having trouble getting enough supply from importers, which is causing them to raise the cost of their rice each bag. Retailers paid US$13.00 for a bag of 25kg long-grain, 25kg parboiled rice, which they then sold for US$14.00 (L$2,200), as they were not responsible for delivering the rice to their establishments. Parboiled rice is now priced at US$18.50 (L$2,600), nevertheless.
“I have been here in the rain for more than eight hours, and there is no sign that I will get rice,” said Abraham Williams, another wholesaler. “Government should immediately intervene to help us.”
This has also affected the most basic retail unit of the commodity, which is the sale of rice by cup, which is now sold for between L$50 and L$60. Rice is the main food source in the nation. Although there are various varieties of the product available, such as butter rice and broken rice, Liberians favor long-grain rice.
The Ministry of Commerce, responsible for regulating the prices of goods, has not yet released any statement on the abrupt hike. When George Weah became President in 2018, he met with rice importers to dialogue on the price of the commodity. “I am ready to work with you and resolve all of the issues that underpin the galloping price of rice so that our people will afford to buy,” he said.
Despite this, it appears that importers are underplaying the president’s appeal. Sometime last year, there was an increment in the price of rice. Additionally, there was another increase this year, which prompted the President to pay an announced visit to several warehouses at the Freeport of Monrovia and guarantee that the price of rice would never increase.
Allegedly, importers are pointing to the rise in the global price of rice and the high tax at the Freeport of Monrovia as justification of the need to hike the price of the commodity above the government's preference of US$13.00. However, importers claim that the government has downplayed their request so they are left with no option but to hoard their goods in order to pressurize the government to agree to their demand.
Additionally, importers did not sell a set quantity to them; however, they are now only selling 10 to 20 bags to individuals on the grounds that they must purchase additional items, such as toothpaste and power pack milk.
Many of the retailers interviewed yesterday pleaded with the government to intervene so that citizens can have access to their staple food.