Rice crisis in the Philippines sounds global inflation alarm
SEP 09, 2023 09:07 AM
SURGING rice prices in the Philippines could be a warning sign for other major importers of the food staple as the fallout from India’s export restrictions continues to reverberate across Asia and West Africa.
Rice inflation in the South-east Asian nation increased at the fastest pace in almost five years in August, reviving memories of a 2018 shock that led to the end of a two-decade-old limit on imports. The Philippine central bank warned this week that it is ready to resume monetary tightening if needed, while diplomacy and deals reign elsewhere as other countries rush to secure supply.
“We’re seeing a great deal of uncertainty,” said Shirley Mustafa, an economist at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. “Price pressure is being exacerbated by the restrictions.”
India’s restrictions have upended the market and prompted worried nations to secure supply as they try and contain the rising cost of rice, which is a vital part of the diets of billions of people across Asia and Africa. Manila has placed a cap on prices, a measure that has led to the downfall of a finance official.
Finance Undersecretary Cielo Magno said she will resign after a Facebook post that appeared to question the recently implemented price cap. The limit was imposed earlier this month after an “alarming” increase in retail costs.