What Are Belizean Consumers Saying About Rice?

On Tuesday, we asked our online viewers whether they would support or not the importation of Guyanese rice into Belize? With a shipment of rice nearing Belize, today, we took to the streets of Belize City to poll the sentiments of the public on this developing issue. Imported rice would mean lower prices on the supermarket shelves for the staple, but do consumers support lower prices over locally produced rice?

Resident #1

“Certainly not. I prefer Belizean; support the Belize product.”

Duane Moody

“Despite the fact that it will be sold cheaper?”

Resident #1

“You have to think about the bigger picture. You have a lot of people that are employed by the rice company in Belize and if we do away with that, then they’ll be out of a job so anyway you take it, we will be affected.”

Resident #2

“If we can’t pay for local rice, cheap, then I noh want that because I noh know weh kinda rice dehn di give we.”

Duane Moody

“They are saying that the Guyanese rice is better quality and it will be cheaper than the one weh we di give right now.”

Resident #2

“I want the quality. If we grow rice here, it supposed to be cheaper. Even for sugar, it supposed to be cheaper. Why carry up the price? Garbage.”

Resident #3

“According to what I understand, they didn’t have any law about it. I think that they should have looked into that first of all. And then I heard over the television this morning that they imported other rice last year to make sure that everybody in Belize [got rice]. So if they are importing rice, why are they stopping this one from getting it all the same? It is fair game for everybody and if I were importing it, I wouldn’t want anyone to stop me because they didn’t have any law against it.”

Duane Moody

“Do you also feel that because it will be sold at a lower price than what the market price is right now that it will benefit consumers?”

Resident #3

“That’s what I am looking at also. It will benefit the consumers because if you really look at it, there are a lot of poor people in Belize who will definitely go after that. So something will definitely change and it won’t be too good for others who are selling the price more expensive because people like things that are more reasonable and this is the time for being reasonable.”

Duane Moody

“Do you support the importation of the Guyanese rice into Belize at a price that is lower than the current shelf price that we have for local rice?”

Resident #4

“Well fi start with, I support mi local people dehn and dah noh everything weh cheap good. So I wah stay with my Belize local all the way.”

Duane Moody

“Despite the fact that it is being sold cheaper?”

Resident #4

“Yes despite that because you have to understand this wah be only fi wah while.”

Resident #5

“No.”

Duane Moody

“Why not?”

Resident #5

“What will happen to the workers that are planting the rice? They would be out of a job wouldn’t they?”

Duane Moody

“Do you think that it would be better given the fact that the price would be lower than what you are paying currently?”

Resident #5

“No. what would that do for Belize? What would that do for the country? How about the parents or the children?”

Duane Moody

“You said no. Why?”

Resident #6

“…Because we have our own rice. And I think that is why we in the shape where we are in because we import more than we export. But majority of the things that we import, Belize has, so I don’t think we should import the Guyanese rice.”