So said a very concerned Richard Ashby, general manager of Hill Milling Company, one of the major distributors of rice in Barbados.

Ashby said yesterday he was shocked to read that at least two supermarkets were limiting rice to customers and he denied that this was because suppliers were limiting the staple.

"There is no shortage. They are creating panic and there is no need for it. We have a lot of rice in our bond," he said as he pointed to thousands of bags of rice waiting to be distributed.

Ashby said last Friday and Monday this week, retailers flocked to Hill Milling and bought tonnes of rice.

"So I don't understand why they are rationing it."

He said that Guyana had "totally run out of rice", but that Hill Milling was getting its supplies from the United States.