Opinion on rice shortage?

Question

what is your opintion on the rice shortage and why?

Answer 1

what?  i didn't know there was a shortage on rice.  that would suck if it's true.  i don't think my family could go a day without rice.

Answer 2

There's been a rice shortage in Southeast Asia for a bit. What to do in the event of a rice shortage? Eat more of everything else.

It's sad that there's a rice shortage, but this'll pass soon, once everyone's adjusted to it. This shortage is nothing compared to the poor saps that have NEVER had food, so I'm feeling that this rice shortage is just a tree in the forest.

Answer 3

The rice shortage has hit Asia the hardest where rice consumption is the greatest. Exporting countries are limiting exports to ensure their own people get enough. A few countries are deploying troops & police to safeguard rice fields & warehouses from thieves. Rice hoarders & unscrupulous traders are threatened with lifelong imprisonment. Supermarkets have to refill shelves a few times daily as paranoid shoppers rush to stock up on rice (even if they take months to finish one bag).

There are numerous possible factors:

- very unpredictable weather in recent times which have destroyed much more crops than in the past. Excessive floods drowning rice plants, severe droughts, the unexpectedly devastating winter storms that ravaged China, the increased frequency of typhoons.

- poor yields from the usual rice seeds. Lack of foresight from governments in not investing heavily years ago to research better rice seeds capable of much higher yields & resistance to diseases, pests and flooding. Instead, governments in the past managed any rice shortages through price controls, when they should have looked at the root factor of production.

- short-sightedness of the 'green' movement & some countries to embrace & trumpet bio-fuels, without foreseeing the certain food shortage problems. Land is a finite resource, so diverting crops towards bio-fuels definitely has the opportunity cost of less food. It's inconceivable bio-fuel proponents failed to foresee such an obvious result, unless they ignored it? Although the developing countries are the first to feel the hunger pangs, in due time if this continues, the Western world will also feel effects from rising food costs & less supply.

- an agricultural problem with a longer history than bio-fuels was the diversion to grow cash crops that were far more profitable than growing stuff like rice. You end up spending huge amounts to import basic staple foods & being at the mercy of volatile global prices & supplies.

- The increased pace of development in many Asian countries which has drastically reduced the amount of farmland, replaced by factories, housing etc. And less farmers are willing to continue the kind of backbreaking lifestyle led by their forefathers. Many rural communities are practically deserted as people flock to the big cities to make more money. Agricultural countries need to help their farmers earn more money through investment in high-tech farming methods and equipment that requires less manpower to use.

- another big problem is the rampant corruption in many Asian countries where funds meant for fertiliser, better seeds & research were diverted by corrupt officials. The farmers ended up with nothing and the low-income public ends up starving. The public can only show their dissatisfaction through votes & protests but usually politicians in their ivory towers can't be bothered and pre-election promises are easily forgotten after victory.

Answer 4

Rice, lentils and wheat flour.  Why?  No idea.

Answer 5

on TV today, there was a sector which stated that rice went up 75% in the last 3 months,   they said that this was caused because several of the world's rice producing countries have closed their borders to the sale of rice, concerned that their own people have enough food, this includes china and vietnam.  

Wheat is also skyrocketing and heading the same way as rice etc

Apparently America is going to be very short of corn because their supplies are going to making ethenol for fuel   This appears to be a global shortfall of basics due to the fuel situation - yes look forward to significant higher prices in these areas as they are in other areas

you might get onto the net to investigate and pass your findings onto us the consumers  

hope this helps

Answer 6

OH MY BETTER GO BUY MORE !!

naw,i'll just eat more steak..........!

all grains are expected to go up in price -cause now we're all going green and grain fuel is the favored alternative !

Answer 7

Hi Adrianne

I actually just heard about the upcoming rice shortage today.

Here in Hawaii it costs about $7.99 for a 20 lb bag of rice up from a year ago.  It looks like about $10.00 a bag by the end of 2008.  It's a big deal for our state because of the strong asian influence/presence.  I'm assuming the rice crops did not fare the winter well, hence the rice shortage.  Hope this answers your questions.

Answer 8

Where is the rice shortage?