Top retailer Wal-Mart's Sam's Club unit said yesterday that it is limiting the amount of rice individual shoppers could buy at one time, as rice prices hit new records around the world. Sam's Club is a US cash-and-carry.
Sam's Club said it had temporarily placed limits of four 20-pound bags a person for jasmine, basmati, and other long-grain white rice types.
'We currently have plenty of rice for Sam's Club Members,' the company said in a statement. 'However, like our competitors, we're just taking the precautionary step of limiting sales of the very large 20 pound bags of imported white rice', it said.
Sam's Club said smaller-sized bags of rice were not affected by the restrictions; nor did they extend to Wal-Mart stores. 'This temporary cap is intended to ensure there is plenty of rice for all our members. No other items are affected,' it added.
Wal-Mart owns British chain supermarket chain Asda, and fear are growing that rice rationing could now be introduced closer to home. Rice is already being rationed by shopkeepers in Asian neighbourhoods in the UK to prevent hoarding.
Yesterday the price of rice hit an all-time high per hundred pound weight of $24.74 cent. It has gone up by 68% this year.
The European Union has called on India and Vietnam, the world's biggest producers, to reverse a decision they have made to ban rice exports. China and Egypt have also banned exports.
