FT.com: Rice Jumps as Africa Joins Race for Supplies

Rice is THE staple food in Sierra Leone. Especially outside of Freetown, rice is part of or the entire meal for Sierra Leoneans. There are different types of sauces to cover the rice including two that contain cassava and potato leaves, respectively. Another with groundnuts (peanuts). Then there's the yummy Jollof rice. Take rice away from Sierra Leonean and you will hear about it. :-) I jest, but in reality this has the potential to affect the country and JH considerably.

By Javier Blas in Nairobi and Roel Landingin in Manila
Published: April 4 2008 15:23

Rice prices rose more than 10 per cent on Friday to a fresh all-time high as African countries joined south-east Asian importers in the race to head off social unrest by securing supplies from the handful of exporters still selling the grain in the international market.
The rise in prices – 50 per cent in two weeks – threatens upheaval and has resulted in riots and soldiers overseeing supplies in some emerging countries, where the grain is a staple food for about 3bn people.

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