The food ration card after WW2.

The shortages of food and materials after WW2 as the infrastucture for producing and delivering them were destroyed. The governments had to rebuild them from scratch. In the meantime, in order to have a fair share of food to the local populace, the government had to ration the essential food items such as rice, flour, sugar etc. Each family was given a ration card and each adult and each child was stipulated on the amount one could purchase from a registered provision shop. This system was not foolproved. if one has the money, one can purchase however much he wanted from the black market.