Guinea-Bissau ends rice subsidies due to inflation

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00:00 A 50 kilogram bag of broken rice now sells for about 34 euros in Guinea-Bissau, a full

00:07 30% more than it did last Friday. This price hike comes as the government has effectively

00:14 withdrawn subsidies aimed at protecting consumers in what is one of the poorest countries on

00:20 earth. The news has sent shockwaves through Guinea-Bissau, as my colleague found out when

00:26 he visited Bandi market, right in the heart of the capital.

00:31 The government needs to take pity on women running the household. We're the ones who

00:35 will have to put up with all the consequences. Look around, these are enormous difficulties.

00:40 With the increase in rice prices, everyone is angry. They should come to an arrangement

00:45 with sellers to lower the price.

00:47 We're calling on the authorities to do everything possible to decrease the price of rice. Imagine

00:54 if you have a big family. A 50 kilogram bag will only last you a few days. On top of this,

00:59 it now costs 24,000 francs. That's too much. The government should show mercy.

01:06 In the countryside, the situation could get even worse. Traditionally, rural communities

01:11 have often traded cashew nuts in exchange for rice. Two 50 kilogram bags of cashew nuts

01:17 could fetch you one 50 kilogram bag of rice. But now that rice has become more valuable

01:23 and given that the cashew crop isn't selling well on international markets, that kind of

01:28 exchange is only going to become more difficult.

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