The price of rice hits new highs.

Hello, and you're listening to the Marketplace Morning Report live from the BBC World Service.

I'm Liana Burn and a very good morning to you. Thanks for joining us.

Rice prices have surged their highest levels in almost 12 years,

as according to the United Nations Food Agency.

Between the lack of grains and fertilizers from Ukraine and onion shortages from Tanzania and Niger,

it means several African countries are going to have a serious problem with food shortages in the

coming months. Here's to B.C. Araba. He's Agri food and environmental policy and strategy

analysts from Kenya who says there's a combination of issues to blame.

First is that India has placed an export ban on non-basmati rice varieties.

So basmati is a variety and then the non-basmati varieties of rice.

And that's because they're hedging against a weak rainfall season,

as a result of El Nino. Even though scientists have predicted a normal rain season

with minimal impact from El Nino on rice production in India,

the Indian government have decided to hedge in case there was an impact on domestic production.

To again, hedge against rising domestic prices of rice.

This is a major concern to countries that are net importers of rice,

most of which comes from India. India exports, I think, somewhere in the region of 2022,

million metric tons of rice. 10 million of that is within the category affected by the export ban,

the non-basmati varieties. Countries such as Nigeria, Senegal, a few West African countries

and in Central Africa. So we expect this shock to be reflected in domestic prices and prices will

rise in these countries. That was Debussy, Araba, AgriFood and Environmental Policy and Strategy

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