By: Peter Dennis
dennisrealone@gmail.com

IPNews-Gbarnga, Bong County: An Independent Probe inquiry has established that there is huge shortage of Liberia’s staple food (rice) in rural Liberia,especially Bong County, despite the Commerce Ministry pronouncement that there is enough rice available in the country.

According to our Bong County correspondent who recently toured the Gbarnga Central market and the main streets of Gbarnga, several rice shops were empty–while few Retailers were seen hiking the price for customers during the busy morning hours of Monday morning.

An Independent Probe survey also gathered that the price of 25kg rice within the course of one week has jumped from 3,200-4,000 Liberian Dollars leaving hundreds of citizens in a complete state of dilemma in this really struggling economy.

Motorbikes were also seen heavily loaded with rice while scores of individuals trouped in to purchase at a higher rate with the further intention to savaging food for their children.

Currently, a cup of rice which was initially sold for 35 Liberian Dollars has been nearly tripled as a result of the shortage of rice in Bong County.

Speaking to the Independent Probe Newspaper in Bong County, some Rice Dealers asserted that they have on several occasions visited the Freeport of Monrovia but returned with money carried in order to purchase varieties of rice for commercial purposes.

The Gbarnga rice sellers clearly stated that with the current situation, they are left with no alternative but to increase the price of rice available in their various shops.

“We have to just manage the few bags of rice we have in stock because we have gone to the Free Port of Monrovia to procure rice but we hardly get some” they told the IP News.

“Based on this, we have to sell a bag of 25 kg rice for 4,000 LD” they pointed out.
Some of the citizens who spoke described the incident as a complete embarrassment to them.

“We are not working; nowhere to generate money, and then a bag of rice has gone to 4,000 Liberian Dollars. How do you expect us to survive in this tough time?” they lamented.

They called on the government of President George Manneh Weah to quickly handle the situation.
However, Commerce Minister Wilson Tarpeh described the lack of rice on the Liberian market as an artificial shortage.

According to him the record from importers has that there is a huge quantity of rice in Liberia and that the prices remain the same contrary to media reports.

In a recent Press Release, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said based on current inventory, there are 40,000 metric Tons of rice in the country, accounting for 1.6 million bags of 25kg rice.

According to the Ministry, the available quantity has the capacity to supply the local rice market for approximately three months and that besides; a consignment of 30,000 metric tons, equivalent to 1.2 million bags of rice is expected in Liberia this July that will sustain the local market for additional two months.

Despite all these releases from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, scores of Liberians are being queued to purchase the country’s staple food at a hiked price across the country. Facilities or necessary equipment are currently lacking to grow the adequate food to feed its over 4 million population.

Liberia heavily depends on other countries including its neighbors, like Guinea, to supply pepper and peanuts for commercial motive.