Even though the strategy is to buy low' and sell high, this is a tactic that often does not work and as a result the country can be left with massive stockpiles and/or a fiscal deficit. They can lead to higher consumer prices, tend to lower w'age competitiveness, and can reduce agricultural diversification (World Bank, 2012b). The fact that consumer prices often rise as a result of buffer stock schemes is in direct conflict with any food security objectives of the programme. This is mainly due to the fact that buffer stocks are more adept by nature at preventing price drops than curbing price hikes and are more often used to raise prices.