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Rice is a staple food in Egypt, gracing many dinner tables in the north African state.
However the country is staring at a food shortage following a government decision not to store surplus rice.
While rice is widely grown in the country, supplies have shrunk, sending prices of available low quality produce up.
The price of rice has surged by about 50 percent in the last two months. Traders it seems are holding back supplies following the government’s failure to replenish its stockpiles, leaving many at the mercy of traders, who are unwilling to sell even as prices rise.
The government has tried to strike back, imposing penalties on suppliers it finds are hoarding.
Predictably, the poor are the worst hit.
