For over a week we've been reporting on the price of rice - and the prospect of importing cheap Guyanese rice. That would drive shelf prices down and amount to major savings for shoppers - but, the government says, it would also likely decimate the local rice industry and put producers out of business. So government has refused to grant importer Jack Charles the permit he needs to bring in Guyanese rice, but that's doing nothing to bring down prices. The supplies control office in the Bureau of Standards which should enforce price controls is about as effective as a hammer without a head - so producers and retailers sell for any price that the market will pay - which is usually one dollar and twenty cents per pound - thirty cents above the control price - and fifty cents cheaper than Charles says he can retail it for.
It's a real quandary and when we visited Public's supermarket on West Collet Canal today we found that shoppers had mixed opinions on the price, and the possible price of rice:...
Courtney Weatherburne reporting
This looks like a normal mid-week shopping cart. Two boxes of Mac and cheese for the kids and then a box of raisins, noodles and a pack of sausages.
But there was one product that could be found in almost every cart at Publics today: and that's rice.
It's our favorite staple food but with rice making the news lately, there has been some controversy surrounding the supposed high price of local rice and who to blame for it.
Some customers say they have no problem paying for the price of local rice.
Adelia Young, Shopper
"Well for me, I prefer my own Belizean rice. Because I don't know how the Guyanese rice is. I don't know what it's like and I don't know how they are selling it, but I stand for my Belizean rice. They want to come and sell their cheaper than ours? We must can lower ours. Why would we support somebody else and we need support right now?"
Bernard Adulphus, Customer
"I think we ought to support all our rice farmers. It is important that we do that, because without our support, our farmers can't make it and we need to support that. Even though it's tempting to bringing rice from abroad, I am not familiar with Guyanese rice. It might be cheap, but is it good? I have a little experience with rice etc., so I don't know if it is good. Even though it might be cheaper, I don't think it's good and what guarantee do we have that the small store keepers in the corner will not increase that rice. So, I am saying I will always support the Belizean local rice. It is necessary for us to do that. I am thinking now outside the box. It might be yes for the first influx cheap from Guyana. Personally, I will not support Guyanese rice. I will support my Belizean farmers - that is important."
While others are more liberal.
Rita Coleman, Customer
"When they were talking about bringing in the rice again, I was saying if they bring it in and they want to sell it at a cheaper price, I was wondering what kind of rice we will be getting. If it's a dirty rice - that's the only thing I was kind of scare about. But if it can come in and the price is a bit cheaper, it would be much better to the consumers. But just that we get value for the price we are paying for."
Courtney Weatherburne
"You usually come to Public's to shop right?"
Rose Gibson, Shopper
"Yes ma'am."
Courtney Weatherburne
"How do you find the prices, especially for the rice?"
Rose Gibson, Shopper
"It's not outrageous, but like how it's the holiday, they should treat us a little better. That is our staple food for rice and beans. Nothing goes correct without our rice and beans. I haven't seen the Guyanese rice yet, so I can't comment on that, but we buy things from Guyana and Guyana buys things from us - we are a Caricom country. Try share the love too."
And this customer wants the grocers to show more love by lowering the price.
Courtney Weatherburne
"How much would you want to pay for one pound of rice?"
Rudolph Gilharry, Customer
"I would say under a dollar - 95-98 cents, depends on the transportation. I come from St. George's Caye. I have to come on my own boat. We don't have any transportation, no water taxi goes to St. George's Caye - so it's a stiff."
Courtney Weatherburne
"Usually you have to come out here in Belize City to do your shopping?"
Rudolph Gilharry, Customer
"There is no hotel there, no shop, no water system, no light - I have to have panels. I have to have water tanks. I have everything and come and pay a little cheaper for the rice, I think that will help."
While it will help him, it won't be feasible for retailers.
Nelson Avila, Manager
"We buy the rice at 90 cents per pound. We need to make a little 20% profit, because we have to pay our workers, we have to pay for the plastic bags, we have to pay taxes. Rice doesn't have a tax, but we have to pay light, water and service to open a store like this. I buy by the hundred pound sacks. I divided by different sizes: 10 pound; 5 pound; 3 pound; 2 pound. This is 20 pounds of rice. This comes package already from the company. Depends also, because right now the competition out there is very hard. Everybody is trying to drop the price. Here at Public's we have the best price at $1.15 per pound and if you buy the 100 pound sack, we give you for $100."
And while the shoppers weren't clear on it - we are: the Belize Marketing Board imported over three million pounds of Guyanese rice last year - and the Belizean consumer was none the wiser for it. There was no public disclosure of the bulk importation, and the local producers simply bought it from the marketing board bagged it in their local rice bags - and passed it off on you as locally produced rice.
And while it was imported for just 53 cents a pound, none of those savings were passed unto you the consumer: everyone from the marketing board to the retailer just pocketed the windfall unwittingly financed by you.
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