WESTERN Provincial capital Gizo is experiencing rice shortage with most of the shops running out of stock.
Over the past days people from the neighboring islands traveling over to do their normal daily shopping have been denied the opportunity to buy a bag of rice at most of the shops in Gizo.
The shortage of supply has been attributed to the delay in shipment arrivals from Honiara.
According to a foreigner who owns one of the shops in Gizo the delay in ships traveling to Gizo is causing the shortage.
“At the moment only few ships are transporting cargoes but spent days at certain ports to offload cargoes.
“This leads to the delay of ships arriving in Gizo or other ports at the right schedule to deliver cargoes and goods,” the foreigner added.
He suggested the need to have a big cargo ship serving the province.
A local man from the neighboring island at Vella La Vella Island said it’s been two weeks since he had been searching to buy a bag of rice.
“You hardly find a 10kg bag of rice at every shop, only 20kg but at limited stock with price sky-rocketing.”
Since Monday Gizo has been flooded with people from the neighboring islands coming into do their shopping and also look for a bag of rice.
Only packets of rice are available but the prices have increased significantly.
The good news is a shipment of rice is expected to arrive in Gizo this week,
Rice has been a staple food for many Solomon Islanders and most of them love to eat it with vegetables and protein food like fish, chicken and port.
By ULUTAH GINA
Gizo News Bureau
