Rice shortage real or created.

Over the past two months I watched in amazement the attitude of Trinidadians towards their favorite staple “Rice’.

People have been scrambling to buy as much rice as possible. Most supermarkets have placed signs indicating a maximum amount that can be purchased.

I remember in the late seventies (1970s) the government invested heavily in  a rice mill situated in Carlsen Field (a deactivated W.W.2 base in central Trinidad). The Ministry of Agriculture invited Japanese rice experts to assist local rice farmers in increasing there rice production. These Japanese experts assisted in repairing the existing sluice gates and installed new ones.

Today  thirty odd years after, the local rice production figures are at an all time low. The sluice gates are no longer functioning and the seawater have damaged many acres of once fertile paddy lands. We are at the mercy of Brazilian and Guyanese rice exporters who are holding back rice exports to guarantee that they receive higher prices.

One local rice importer said that with every new shipment entering the country the price is escalating. We are a nation of rice lovers and as one person said ” the cost of local ground provision (dasheen, eddoes. sweet potatoes etc.) rice and flour is still cheaper”.

Very interesting so we are stuck with buying rice maybe until the price of rice is higher than the price of local ground provision.

Maybe we might see the advent of some new recipes, I wonder if we would be able to make a pelau with out rice. I don’t think that is possible so we Trinis will buy our rice no matter what price it reaches.