Military grocery stores in Japan limiting rice purchases in response to shortage

[unhappycamper]

A sign in the Yokosuka commissary tipping off consumers to new restrictions on rice purchases is evidence of the growing concern over climbing worldwide rice prices and grain production dropoff.


Military grocery stores in Japan limiting rice purchases in response to shortage
By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, May 8, 2008

Military grocery stores in Japan are limiting rice purchases in response to climbing worldwide prices and increasing concerns about the grain’s production drop-off, commissary officials said Tuesday.

The policy, which started last week, limits customers to two 20-pound bags of rice per purchase, according to Mike Auderer, the store director at the Defense Commissary Agency’s store on Yokota Air Base in Japan.

The policy also limits the purchase of smaller quantities of rice to a total of 20 pounds per shopping visit, Auderer said.

Auderer and other commissary managers in Japan and Okinawa said Tuesday they have no shortages of rice in the stockrooms. Instead, the goal is to avoid scarcity down the road.

“This is in line with what other stores are doing in the States,” Auderer said. “It’s to ensure there is an adequate supply for everybody.”


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54611