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Is There Enough Rice?

Wed, 2008-05-07 07:05 — Adam Mayer

**Posted from http://sustainourrights.blogspot.com/

Over the past few months there have been a number of news items about the shortage of rice. While this can and may become a crisis around the world, it's not a real issue here in the US. But then again is it?

Rice is a staple around the world, mostly in Asia and Africa, just as potatoes are a staple in the standard American diet. Think about it, when you go to a fast food restaurant they offer you fries and not rice. When you are eating out at a restaurant your meal will most commonly come with a potato side dish. You can get rice, but only if you ask for it. This is why the US exports more rice than probably any other country in the world. We grow alot of food here, but more rice than we need.

Other nations in East Asia grow much of their own rice, but they would sell extra to other nations. They are facing shortages so they are keeping more for themselves. This means that these nations will buy from other areas, such as the US. This will help rice farmers here, they will have new markets that they can sell to who normally would not purchase American rice.

But does this mean there will be shortage of rice here in the US? Most likely not. Will it be hard to find rice over the next few weeks? Most likely it will. People have a tendency to panic when they here a sound byte from the news. This has been known for months now, but because people will only go on small amounts of information, they panic. Of course if you were purchasing imported rice, then you might want to stock up, but for the rice grown domesticaly there will be enough.

Comments

wlewis's picture
wlewis
May 7th, 2008

Re: Is There Enough Rice?



Reality check on one aspect of the rice problem: US rice "farmers" hardly need any help. They are eating dirt in Haiti due to the highly subsidized $billion rice lobby, in concert with the world bank, forcing that country to stop subsidizing its own farmers so cheaper US rice could be sold there. So, not being able to sell their crops, Haitian farmers of course stopped growing rice. Brilliant. Strip the most impoverished country in the world of its own food supply so over-producing US "farmers" can have a market.

-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Mayer [mailto:adamsmayer@]
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 7:08 AM
To: Washington County Peak Oil
Subject: From WCPO Is There Enough Rice?

**Posted from http://sustainourrights.blogspot.com/**

Over the past few months there have been a number of news items about the shortage of rice. While this can and may become a crisis around the world, it's not a real issue here in the US. But then again is it?

Rice is a staple around the world, mostly in Asia and Africa, just as potatoes are a staple in the standard American diet. Think about it, when you go to a fast food restaurant they offer you fries and not rice. When you are eating out at a restaurant your meal will most commonly come with a potato side dish. You can get rice, but only if you ask for it. This is why the US exports more rice than probably any other country in the world. We grow alot of food here, but more rice than we need.

Other nations in East Asia grow much of their own rice, but they would sell extra to other nations. They are facing shortages so they are keeping more for themselves. This means that these nations will buy from other areas, such as the US. This will help rice farmers here, they will have new markets that they can sell to who normally would not purchase American rice.

But does this mean there will be shortage of rice here in the US? Most likely not. Will it be hard to find rice over the next few weeks? Most likely it will. People have a tendency to panic when they here a sound byte from the news. This has been known for months now, but because people will only go on small amounts of information, they panic. Of course if you were purchasing imported rice, then you might want to stock up, but for the rice grown domesticaly there will be enough.




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