Rice is the staple food of billions of people around the world, recently the Indian government has banned the export of its rice.

A Toronto grocer says the export ban has squeezed the market and increased demand for groceries. The South Asian grocery store said that they used to have rice for three to four weeks, but within two or three days, their stock of rice was sold out. The seller says that is why they have imposed restrictions on the purchase of rice and each family can only buy one bag of rice.

India's similar move last year took a month, and if you think a month isn't a long time, consider the rice shipping containers that ship to Canada by sea. Grocery stores say that the ban on the export of Indian rice from India has a great impact on their sales and activities. One store says it has always been known to have 40 varieties of rice, and non-basmati Indian rice makes up almost 40% of their rice share. In response to this ban, this store has increased the price of a 10-pound bag of rice from $15 to $20. India's Ministry of Consumer Affairs says the ban is to ensure the availability of non-basmati rice in Indian markets and prevent rice prices from rising in the domestic market.

Canadian rice customers say cutting off rice imports means higher prices for the commodity, and despite rising prices for other food items and rising inflation, that's a concern because rice is the staple food of Canadians who are from South Asia. It is not clear how long the ban on the export of Indian rice from India will be in place.