Mover Mike

At the end of April, rice rationing was in the news, Sam's Club was limiting the purchase of rice to four bags at a time. Costco put on limits at some stores.

The Blue Square and Supersol supermarket chains have begun limiting purchases of rice, Israeli newspapers said yesterday. Supersol is restricting each customer to "three bags per type of grain product," the Jerusalem Post reported.

Relentless demand from developing countries and poor crop yields have pushed rice prices up 70 percent so far this year, raising concerns of severe shortages of the staple food consumed by almost half the world's population.

Myanmar TV reported last night: "The confirmed number is 3934 dead, 41 injured and 2879 missing within the Rangoon and Irrawaddy divisions."

It also said: "According to the information that we have as of May 5, there could be tens of thousands dead in Bogolay township and thousands more dead in Labutta township."

The storm which arrived with a storm surge between 10 and 12 feet made a direct hit on the Irrawaddy delta, Burma’s main rice producing region. While it is far too early to assess crop losses, they are likely to be substantial and generate yet more upward price pressure on the available supply rice.