Rice is on the Menu

This report in from the local news. http://moov.mg/
A gap of 80% of the need for rice is to be filled. Local production is far from being able to satisfy demand. Imports from India, Pakistan, Thailand and Singapore are already planned Being that the lack of rain is the reason why.

RICE: The Ministry of Trade and Consumer Affairs reports that the 40,000 tons of rice arriving at Tuléar harbor last week, with the 25,000 tons of monthly import of operators should be large enough to ensure the two-month stock of the lean period. A fall in rice prices is expected.
Date: 06/02/2017

Also in Orange news. 
MAHAJANGA: The kapoaka of the rice reaches 1000 ariary in Mahajanga, according to the deputy Lalao Rahantanirina.  8/feb/17

Remember the measurement of 3.5 kapoaka equals one Kilo.

Also I am trying to buy a bag of rice from Marovay which is a leading rice growing section of Madagascar and I am unable to find any excellent rice at this time. Rice that has no sand and small stones and has a perfume quality.   Usually rice can be bought from 275,000 to 350,000 FMG for a bag of rice with various counts of Kapoakas ( about 100 to 120 lbs) .  Now the price of a bag of rice is nearing 800,000 fmg and that good rice is hard to find.   

What is insidious is that the best rice is shipped overseas and the locals have to suffer with poor quality local rice that is stocked up for a year or more and waiting for the lean season of no rice to charge greedy profits.  Or buy Pakistan rice of low quality and for a medium price but the difference in profit margin I do not know.

Where do you buy your rice and how much?

I was asked several times to venture into the rice market, but could not find myself in the position of selling one year old rice at a high profit margin in a poor country where rice is the staple diet and more people eat rice per capita than any other African country.

I will add one more thing.  I have recently been buying ( from Score) a type of rice called sticky rice that sells for 27,500 fmg per kilo.  Local rice is 15,000 fmg kilo.  This sticky rice has plenty of flavor but the cooking style is different as you will need to steam this rice rather than boil it.  Cooking time is about the same, preparing the rice is different as you need to soak the sticky rice, after cleaning for two hours. And where our family of four will consume at a major meal 3 kapoakas of rice- it seems 2 1/2 kpoakas of sticky rice is normal.  Sticky rice is more Asian style with a light meal.  Many know this sticky rice to be eaten with Sushi.  I can say that sticky rice is also tasty when dipped in rice vinegar.   

The rice I have been talking about is white rice. There is also brown rice  and I have brought some Asian black rice with me as well as some wild black rice from USA which is Minnesota grown--Up by Bagely MN for those who know that area and close to the Canadian border.