Rice export ban drives down prices

Rice prices dropped EGP 600 to EGP 3,900 per tonne due to the ban on rice exports currently in place, a Supply Ministry source tells Al Shorouk. The ban, in combination with efforts to curb smuggling, has increased rice supply in the market, driving down prices, according to the source. The government had decided earlier this month to keep the ban in place during the upcoming period, after having re-imposed it last year.