Shortages of flour and cooking oil have surfaced in other regions, but the impacts here appear to be minimal so far, according to managers at several local outlets.
Doug Homer, general manager of the Costco in Missoula, said he received direction from his home office Thursday afternoon to limit rice sales to five 50-pound bags per customer.
Costco has moderately increased orders of long- and short-grain rice from domestic suppliers, but he said imported rice is becoming slightly more difficult to obtain.
In some stores in California's nine-county Bay Area and other regions across the country, supplies of rice and flour were limited earlier this week by Costco Wholesale Corp., the largest warehouse club operator in the nation.
Consumers, hoping to save money as food prices soar, tend to buy in bulk at food warehouses. Some small businesses and restaurant owners buy pallet loads of basic commodities at food warehouses.
Rice prices in the United States and globally have more than doubled in the last year. On Wednesday, U.S. futures prices reportedly hit record highs on worries of supply shortages. Additionally, wheat prices have repeatedly peaked in response to worldwide shortages.
Pam Clevenger, grocery manager at the Good Food Store in Missoula, said about five customers have inquired about possible shortages since Monday. But the overall reaction to the national news has been muted.
The store has 26 varieties of bulk rice. She said they've been out of jasmine rice from Thailand for weeks.
But other varieties, including basmati rice, come from California where supplies are not a problem, Clevenger said. Even so, her bulk buyer is purchasing slightly larger quantities in anticipation of people hoarding.
“We have some customers who're buying 25-pound bags and special-ordering more,” she said. “The customers are responding to the news and they're stocking up.”
She said some people have very specific tastes in rice. Overall, prices for rice have increased about 15 percent in the last few months.
“If they have a favorite kind of rice, they want to make sure they have enough of it,” Clevenger said. She said there hasn't been obvious hoarding or shortages of flour, although prices have almost doubled with the worldwide shortage.
Am Penny, manager of Sa-Wad-Dee Authentic Thai Restaurant, said prices have increased dramatically since the beginning of the month from their two suppliers. The jasmine and long-grain rice they dish up have been affected.
“It is increasing like 50 percent,” she said.
On Wednesday, the Sam's Club division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. reportedly began rationing sales of rice to four bags per customer. Sam's Club has a store in Great Falls, but a call was not returned.
Sales of rice and flour have increased at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Mullan Road.
“It hasn't been really huge, but we have noticed a spike in sales in rice and flour,” said Becky Mounts, general manager. “I do foresee it happening.”
She said supply problems may surface once they've worked through the inventory in their warehouse and the national shortage impedes their ability to replenish their stock.
“We may be forced to limit supplies, but we haven't been given direction to ration supplies” yet from the corporate offices, Mounts said.
However, the managers of smaller Wal-Mart stores in Polson and Missoula said they haven't seen any stockpiling of flour and rice by consumers.
“We saw it after 9/11 and with Y2K, but we haven't had any problems with clients stocking up,” said Dave Tolley, general manager in Polson. “But we'll see what happens with the media hype over the last two days.”
Reporter Pamela J. Podger may be reached at 523-5241 or at pamela.podger@missoulian.com
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