The price of rice in Indonesia has climbed rapidly in March — a serious problem for a country whose 250 million people are among the world’s largest consumers of the food staple. Consumers paid as much as 7% more for rice in March than in January, and media reports that prices rose as high as 30% in some Jakarta markets. The government has so far refused to begin importing rice, and recently accused warehouse owners of illegal stockpiling. On a positive note, maybe the prohibitive costs of rice are causing six-year-olds to re-think their smoking habits?
