Global food crisis

[Chuck Bao]

If you are wondering about whether you should stock up on rice, I think the answer is yes. Everyone else is, as rice prices are going higher.

One of my colleagues went to a hastily arranged seminar on rice prices on Thursday. His report from the seminar is quite alarming.

World stocks of rice have decreased from 140mn tonnes in 2001 to the current 60 mn tonnes. China’s stocks have fallen from 97mn to 30mn tonnes, while India’s stocks have decreased from 25mn to 10 mn tonnes.

Asian governments pretty much view their national reserve of rice inventories as the US government views its strategic oil reserves. In a worst case scenario planning, no Asian government wants to be caught short if it hopes to survive. I have no explanation as to why stock levels for these countries were allowed to fall so low, especially since these types of deals are normally government to government. Poor planning then, I guess, and panic buying now.

The experts are saying that it will take 3-5 years for the global rice inventory to recover from the current critical level.

Meanwhile, the global market for rice is quite thin, given that some traditional export countries are now curbing exports. I can’t blame them. They’re not hedge funds out to make a buck, but countries trying to secure food for their people.

Rice prices have almost trebled since January with Thailand's 100% export grade white rice, the world's main benchmark, rising to over US$1,000 per tonne. Some are saying that it will go to US$1,300 in the near term.

http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/riceprice.jpg

Mortgage crisis, credit crisis, oil crisis, but all of that pales in comparison to the potential global food crisis. This could get ugly.

[olevetonahill]

Guess makin Rice wine is out then huh ?

[Viking Kitten]

Crisis solved.

http://www.oilempire.us/graphics/soylent-green.jpg

[crawfish]

Don't stock up on rice.

Stock up on guns.

YWIA.

[Flagstaffsooner]

I know I will get negged for this, but we do need to reduce the human population.

[olevetonahill]

I know I will get negged for this, but we do need to reduce the human population.

Thats why Craw said to stock up on Guns
Pay tention

[Frozen Sooner]

You volunteering, Flag? ;)

[Chuck Bao]

I'm not worried. After bird flu, I stocked up on about a 6-month supply of canned food. Heh! My grocery store asked where I was planning on re-selling all that food.

Only later did I discoverer that all that canned food tastes awful.

[soonerbrat]

what about risoto? should I stock up on that too?

[Okla-homey]

The key is to know where the Mormons are in your neighborhood. They are required to keep a years supply of food on hand at all times. And they have BIG families. If the fecal matter hits the rotary ventilation, just pop a few caps and you got plenty of eats.:D


anyhoo, I'm getting too old for this crap. i still feel foolish for filling my bathtubs for Y2K. It's all just bogosity designed to sell newspapers. ditto "global warming."

[soonerbrat]

homey, you're like..the smartest person I know.

[Okla-homey]

homey, you're like..the smartest person I know.

thanks toots. You're not too shabby yourself!

[KC//CRIMSON]

homey, you're like..the smartest person I know.

Didn't you hear him? He said he filled his bathtubs.

[soonerbrat]

Didn't you hear him? He said he filled his bathtubs.

yah, but the mormon thing is a great idea.

[Okla-homey]

Didn't you hear him? He said he filled his bathtubs.

THAT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO!

[olevetonahill]

THAT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO!

Dont you Think you need to change the water By Now ?

[Frozen Sooner]

And you're still using the same bathwater?

Ew.

[Frozen Sooner]

JINX!

BUY ME A NATTY!

[KC//CRIMSON]

THAT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO!

I bet you put a garbage disposer in the drain too!

[shaun4411]

so going to asian food restaurants will cost more? fried rice will go up ?

[SoonerInKCMO]

anyhoo, I'm getting too old for this crap. i still feel foolish for filling my bathtubs for Y2K. It's all just bogosity designed to sell newspapers. ditto "global warming."

Y2K was legit; it's just my mad programming skillz re-writing a brazillion lines of code that saved you. ;)

[StoopTroup]

I just had BBQ.

There's no way that will eva run out.

[r5TPsooner]

The key is to know where the Mormons are in your neighborhood. They are required to keep a years supply of food on hand at all times. And they have BIG families. If the fecal matter hits the rotary ventilation, just pop a few caps and you got plenty of eats.:D


anyhoo, I'm getting too old for this crap. i still feel foolish for filling my bathtubs for Y2K. It's all just bogosity designed to sell newspapers. ditto "global warming."

So true. If you think he's BS'ing ya he's not. :twinkies:

[GottaHavePride]

http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/kanunu/riceprice.jpg



SMARTASS RESPONSE OPTION 1
So what does that have to do with the price of rice... in... wait a minute.


SMARTASS RESPONSE OPTION 2

Is that in metric ****-tonnes of rice?

[StoopTroup]

BBQ has no rice.

[r5TPsooner]

I'm sure glad that the misses likes red beans & rice.

[Harry Beanbag]

The key is to know where the Mormons are in your neighborhood. They are required to keep a years supply of food on hand at all times. And they have BIG families. If the fecal matter hits the rotary ventilation, just pop a few caps and you got plenty of eats.:D



Awesome! 75% of my neighborhood is Mormon.

[Harry Beanbag]

If I don't eat rice do I still need to stock up?

[captain_surly]

anyhoo, I'm getting too old for this crap. i still feel foolish for filling my bathtubs for Y2K. It's all just bogosity designed to sell newspapers. ditto "global warming."

Homey:

I agree with 99.9% of everything I've seen you post on this board but you're wrong on this one. There is a serious worldwide shortage of rice. And corn. And soybeans. Sam's and Costco are both limiting rice purchases to 5 bags per person.

It's all driven by the price of oil and government subsidies for the production of biofuels. We're trading food for oil and still not making a dent in the price of petroleum.

Biofuel is part of the answer to our dependence on foreign oil but not the kind of biofuel made from stuff that people eat.

[Okla-homey]

Whatever. But know this, hoarding won't help. Indeed, it will make things worse. Then key is to remain calm and don't freak out. The United States is completely capable of feeding all its people with a metric buttload left over to feed a bunch of other countries.

IMHO, we need to knock off this bio-fuels charade which isn't worth the investment. Instead, we need to kick the automakers in the bootay by requiring them to make automobile engines more efficient through tough but gradually imposed federal efficiency standards.

I see no reason why we couldn't have every passenger vehicle and light truck on the road getting at least 60MPG by 2020 if we start now. Moreover, if you incentivize the manufacture and purchase of vehicles that exceed standards, who knows? Maybe 100MPG by 2020?

I'm no engineer, but I refuse to accept the notion that a nation who put a man on the moon and brought him safely home in 1969 is incapable of having made any substantive progress in automotive efficiency in the almost 40years since then.

I also believe we need to focus on safe, clean, efficient and practical nuclear energy for our electrical power needs. Heck, even the dumarse French are building reactors like crazy. We, OTOH, are content with our filthy old skool coal plants.

[Jerk]

A little note about the Mormons:

They know that you know that they have a lot of food stored up. And they have lots of guns. And they are prepared for when you try to theive their stuff.

Personally, I think it be easier just to drive out in the country and shoot a cow. But that may get you shot at, too.

[Okla-homey]

A little note about the Mormons:

They know that you know that they have a lot of food stored up. And they have lots of guns. And they are prepared for when you try to theive their stuff.

Personally, I think it be easier just to drive out in the country and shoot a cow. But that may get you shot at, too.

pffft. Just wait til they have their weekly Family Home Evening. They get so distracted by their singing around the family piano, cookie baking and Scrabble games they won't notice you coming in the back door and making off with their cases of canned goods and powdered milk.

Besides, how smart can they be? They actually believe some shyster from upstate NY who claimed an angel told him where to dig up golden tablets containing a Gospel supplement said shyster subsequently interpreted and transcribed into English by reading the tablets through special glassine rocks. Then, just to make sure no one debunked his chicanery, the same shyster claimed the angel took the golden tablets back. That's comedy gold right there.;)

[captain_surly]

Whatever. But know this, hoarding won't help. Indeed, it will make things worse. Then key is to remain calm and don't freak out. The United States is completely capable of feeding all its people with a metric buttload left over to feed a bunch of other countries.

IMHO, we need to knock off this bio-fuels charade which isn't worth the investment. Instead, we need to kick the automakers in the bootay by requiring them to make automobile engines more efficient through tough but gradually imposed federal efficiency standards.

I see no reason why we couldn't have every passenger vehicle and light truck on the road getting at least 60MPG by 2020 if we start now. Moreover, if you incentivize the manufacture and purchase of vehicles that exceed standards, who knows? Maybe 100MPG by 2020?

I'm no engineer, but I refuse to accept the notion that a nation who put a man on the moon and brought him safely home in 1969 is incapable of having made any substantive progress in automotive efficiency in the almost 40years since then.

I also believe we need to focus on safe, clean, efficient and practical nuclear energy for our electrical power needs. Heck, even the dumarse French are building reactors like crazy. We, OTOH, are content with our filthy old skool coal plants.

I agree with all of that but think biofuel might be part of the solution. If we can figure out how how to produce it efficiently from something like algae or kudzu. I would support a small amount of public funding of research into that.

I'm certainly aware that hording only exacerbates the problem but you know as well as I do that's how a lot of people react to shortages real or percieved or rapidly rising prices. We're both old enough to remember fights breaking out in lines at the gas station in the 70's. That's precisely why stores are rationing rice right now.

[Okla-homey]

I agree with all of that but think biofuel might be part of the solution. If we can figure out how how to produce it efficiently from something like algae or kudzu. I would support a small amount of public funding of research into that.

I'm certainly aware that hording only exacerbates the problem but you know as well as I do that's how a lot of people react to shortages real or percieved or rapidly rising prices. We're both old enough to remember fights breaking out in lines at the gas station in the 70's. That's precisely why stores are rationing rice right now.

'member that odd or even dealio? If your tag number ended in an even number, you could buy gas on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Odd could buy in Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Sundays were open season. Good times.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

You do realize we have Mormons on this board right ;)

[Okla-homey]

You do realize we have Mormons on this board right ;)


Yes, and I think they know all this stuff is offered with tongue just about piercing cheek. They're great Americans and wonderful people*. In fact, the ones I've had the privilege of knowing would share with us Gentiles. That's the way they roll.

*Excepting of course that "Little Cult on the Prairie" bunch down in texass now in the news.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Haha Just didn't want you to get a neg jihad from those who might not have known that

[Jerk]

Yes, and I think they know all this stuff is offered with tongue just about piercing cheek. They're great Americans and wonderful people*. In fact, the ones I've had the privilege of knowing would share with us Gentiles. That's the way they roll.

*Excepting of course that "Little Cult on the Prairie" bunch down in texass now in the news.


Yep. They'z cool.

http://www.northstar.k12.ak.us/schools/ryn/projects/inventors/browning/jmbrown.jpg


If you look carefully, you can see a halo over his head.

[SoonerObsession]

I'll be concerned when pizza and hamburgers stop growing on trees.

[StoopTroup]

Mmmmmm....

BBQ fer breakfast. :D

[Sooner Eclipse]

I see no reason why we couldn't have every passenger vehicle and light truck on the road getting at least 60MPG by 2020 if we start now. Moreover, if you incentivize the manufacture and purchase of vehicles that exceed standards, who knows? Maybe 100MPG by 2020?

I'm no engineer, but I refuse to accept the notion that a nation who put a man on the moon and brought him safely home in 1969 is incapable of having made any substantive progress in automotive efficiency in the almost 40years since then.

I also believe we need to focus on safe, clean, efficient and practical nuclear energy for our electrical power needs. Heck, even the dumarse French are building reactors like crazy. We, OTOH, are content with our filthy old skool coal plants.

As someone who works as an engineer for an automobile company, I can tell you that the technologies do exist to get us to that point. The problem is most of us don't want to put our families and children in contraptions made of bamboo substrate that use rice paper and corn hull pulp for outer skins. Driving theses devices next to the likes of Jerk and others in 80K lb. monsters is not appealing to me nor most others. No matter how much technology you put into safety systems they normally will not overcome the devastating effects of a vehicle impact with one of significantly greater mass.

Part of the problem is getting the massive amounts of trucking off the roads. We need to start looking at using rail much more extensively again. Especially those cargos that are moving 1000 + miles. It may not be as convenient but is much more efficient. Our "just in time" society has virtually killed rail transport.

Until it becomes safe to operate lightweight vehicles on our roads, consumers will continue to demand the safety of heavier vehicles. Gas is currently at $3.50 a gal. and I am not seeing a lack of truck based SUVs on the highway.
Maybe when it hits $7/gal in about 4 years. Point is, this is an entirely consumer driven vehicle trait that will evolve when consumers demand it. There is no government guarantee that Ford or GM will be supported by public funds until consumers decide they want to buy all these wonderful gas savers that you envision.

[Jerk]

The problem is most of us don't want to put our families and children in contraptions made of bamboo substrate that use rice paper and corn hull pulp for outer skins.

Now that's funny :D

The problem is that it won't matter what 'we want,' it will be mandated by the do-gooders.

[Sooner Eclipse]

Now that's funny :D

The problem is that it won't matter what 'we want,' it will be mandated by the do-gooders.

Well, not really. Until the gubmint decides to put the auto industry on life support and pay for the design and manufacture of these lightweight perpetual motion machines, the consumer will drive that decision. Until the demand becomes great enough, we will continue to produce autos that trend towards lower fuel mileage and supply a great ammount of comfort and safety.

[Jerk]

Well, not really. Until the gubmint decides to put the auto industry on life support and pay for the design and manufacture of these lightweight perpetual motion machines, the consumer will drive that decision. Until the demand becomes great enough, we will continue to produce autos that trend towards lower fuel mileage and supply a great ammount of comfort and safety.

Ok. Just design them with a poor power to weight ratio so that they'll slow down on every hill. That way things will kind of even out, and I wont have to play the passing game with grandma anymore.

[olevetonahill]

I can see In my Mind that Bamboo and Rice paper Veehikle scooting down the road .
On Fire, Cause some red neck tossed a Lit Cig out the window
Ala Cheech and Chong

[Sooner Eclipse]

Well, thats why we developed adaptive cruise.:) Now speed up, dammit.

[Sooner Eclipse]

I can see In my Mind that Bamboo and Rice paper Veehikle scooting down the road .
On Fire, Cause some red neck tossed a Lit Cig out the window
Ala Cheech and Chong

Nah, in that world, the afore mentioned rednek would already have been relegated to a stalag for us manmadeglobalwarming doubting, treehugger hating fools that dare to doubt that AlGore is really GreenJesus.

[Okla-homey]

Here's a thought. Highways for the exclusive use of semis. We can call them "semi-ways." Imagine a four lane undivided interstate system just for long-haul trucking. Make the speed limit unlimited and let 'em git after it. That way, if they crack-up, no one in a four-wheeler gets hurt. Anything above a certain axle weight would have to use the semi-way.

I imagine we already have enough right-of-way to build it. Either in the median on existing interstates, or to one side. Sure, we'd have to add some bridges, but if it makes it feasible to put more efficient, lighter passenger vehicles on the road, what are we waiting for?

[Viking Kitten]

As far as increasing fuel efficiency, shouldn't we also be looking into using different construction materials for cars, like carbon nanotube fiber which is both significantly lighter and stonger that steel? Granted it's very expensive now, but it seems like it's worth channeling resources toward more research and development.

[Okla-homey]

As far as increasing fuel efficiency, shouldn't we also be looking into using different construction materials for cars, like carbon nanotube fiber which is both significantly lighter and stonger that steel? Granted it's very expensive now, but it seems like it's worth channeling resources toward more research and development.

Indeed.

Moreover, the lunar excursion module (LEM) was built with a skin thinner than a pop can. The important stuff was bolstered with strong support members. Why can't car bodies be made out of tough but very lightweight plastic like the stuff football helmets are made of with the underlying support structure made out of this hi-tech whizbang stuff? Better yet, make the body out of that plastic they use to make blister packages out of for toys and other small items. That crap is impervious to anything but a sharp knife.:D Get in a wreck? No biggy. Body work would be a snap. Just peel off the old dinged up body work and snap on a new component.

Bottomline, I bet American engineering could figure it out if there was money in it.

[SoonerBorn68]

As someone who works as an engineer for an automobile company, I can tell you that the technologies do exist to get us to that point.

:les:Get to work on that solar powered flying car!

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Where the hell is my jetpack!

[Sooner Eclipse]

Indeed.

Moreover, the lunar excursion module (LEM) was built with a skin thinner than a pop can. The important stuff was bolstered with strong support members. Why can't car bodies be made out of tough but very lightweight plastic like the stuff football helmets are made of with the underlying support structure made out of this hi-tech whizbang stuff? Better yet, make the body out of that plastic they use to make blister packages out of for toys and other small items. That crap is impervious to anything but a sharp knife.:D Get in a wreck? No biggy. Body work would be a snap. Just peel off the old dinged up body work and snap on a new component.

Bottomline, I bet American engineering could figure it out if there was money in it.

Most of the stuff you and VK are talking about is being looked at very seriously. The drawback is the $ that the consumer is willing to absorb for such technologies. Most people don't realize that saving $0.25 per car over a companys entire production for a year means millions in returns to the company. But given the rising cost of steel, some of these materials are closer to being viable.

To your point of super hard substances. You actually want a substance that can be made to absorb energy at varying rates and place it in strategic places within the frame and skin of a car. These deform at increasingly variable rates to keep the occupant from absorbing the entire impact. The more the car absorbs, the less the occupant. Super stiff substances would not deform but would snap when stressed and would have a detrimental affect on occupants.

[Jerk]

Here's a thought. Highways for the exclusive use of semis. We can call them "semi-ways." Imagine a four lane undivided interstate system just for long-haul trucking. Make the speed limit unlimited and let 'em git after it. That way, if they crack-up, no one in a four-wheeler gets hurt. Anything above a certain axle weight would have to use the semi-way.

I imagine we already have enough right-of-way to build it. Either in the median on existing interstates, or to one side. Sure, we'd have to add some bridges, but if it makes it feasible to put more efficient, lighter passenger vehicles on the road, what are we waiting for?

The trend wont be for faster trucks. It will be for increasing the weight limit and allowing trucks to pull multiple trailers.

I have an idea: take fly-by-wire technology and apply it to trucks hauling three, four, or five trailers. If every axle on the truck and trailer is somewhat steerable, and can hook them up to a computer, then you have a chip that can do all of the quick and tiny corrections to keep the vehicle stable as it's going down the road. The trailer axles wouldn't have to be able to steer much, just a few degrees maybe, and a computer could keep the truck from losing control, even if it slammed on it's brakes while pulling 5 trailers. This might be do-able without steerable axles on the trailer. You might be able to hook up each brake and make it work.

The concept I have is kind of like how the computer flys the F-117. The thing is not airworthy and couldn't fly if there were no computer taking the pilot's input and making his commands happen. It's so unstable that the computer has to do many many corrections all the time to just keep it flying straight.

[Okla-homey]

The trend wont be for faster trucks. It will be for increasing the weight limit and allowing trucks to pull multiple trailers.

I have an idea: take fly-by-wire technology and apply it to trucks hauling three, four, or five trailers. If every axle on the truck and trailer is somewhat steerable, and can hook them up to a computer, then you have a chip that can do all of the quick and tiny corrections to keep the vehicle stable as it's going down the road. The trailer axles wouldn't have to be able to steer much, just a few degrees maybe, and a computer could keep the truck from losing control, even if it slammed on it's brakes while pulling 5 trailers. This might be do-able without steerable axles on the trailer. You might be able to hook up each brake and make it work.



we already have that. They're called railroad trains.;)

[Chuck Bao]

Going back to the food issue, who said don’t hoard?

Hoard as much as you want to, if you like rice. Everyone is doing it. Don’t think for a second that they are not. Governments are doing it. Rice mills are doing it.

It’s a bit insane. I was going to say that governments need to get together and fix rice prices to stop this critical situation from getting worse.

My major argument was that international markets can no longer be trusted as an efficient means to set prices and allocate resources. And, that should be very clear with short-term speculation driving almost all commodity prices. I am terribly wrong, I think.

Rice is quite different from almost all other commodities in that it is typically negotiated government to government.

The Philippines just announced the winning bids in its auction. Vietnam won the highest price of US$1,200/tonne with the contract deal for 100,000 tonnes. Thailand also won a contract at US$1,080/tonne for 195,000 tonnes. Pakistan won its bid at US$875/tonne for 25,000 tonnes.

No, I don’t understand it either.

It sounds like book building for an international IPO. The lowest bidder gets all they want and if the offer isn’t fully met it goes to the next bidder at their price and so on until the order is filled.

This would be quite strange though, since there are only a few bidders (i.e., rice exporting countries) and you would think a rice exporting country would try to get the best price. But, they actually don’t. Local prices are in fact driven by international prices and governments don’t produce rice. They have to buy from the local millers and pay them accordingly. Governments don’t want local rice prices to rise too much, fueling inflation and major local discontent.

One Thai newspaper wrote earlier last week that if Iraq or Iran, I can’t remember which, opened up a tender for rice, the price would immediately go up to US$1,300/tonne.

So, why don’t governments get together and fix prices? Because some of importers have foolishly let their inventories fall dangerously low and if the exporting countries try to artificially set prices, their purchase system falls apart. Local millers start doing their own deals.

I’m not sure if I understand this correctly. But, if I am, this doesn’t look very good.

It’s every man and country for themselves.

Hoard if you like your rice.

[Jerk]

Well, thats why we developed adaptive cruise.:) Now speed up, dammit.

Is this the same thing that we truckers call 'soft cruise'? I hate it. The fugger won't kick in until you're half-way up the hill and have already lost 5-10mph. I once drove a truck that had it, and I would never use it, just use my foot and stand on the floor.

eta - nevermind. I just googled it. That's kind of nifty.

[royalfan5]

Going back to the food issue, who said don’t hoard?

Hoard as much as you want to, if you like rice. Everyone is doing it. Don’t think for a second that they are not. Governments are doing it. Rice mills are doing it.

It’s a bit insane. I was going to say that governments need to get together and fix rice prices to stop this critical situation from getting worse.

My major argument was that international markets can no longer be trusted as an efficient means to set prices and allocate resources. And, that should be very clear with short-term speculation driving almost all commodity prices. I am terribly wrong, I think.

Rice is quite different from almost all other commodities in that it is typically negotiated government to government.

The Philippines just announced the winning bids in its auction. Vietnam won the highest price of US$1,200/tonne with the contract deal for 100,000 tonnes. Thailand also won a contract at US$1,080/tonne for 195,000 tonnes. Pakistan won its bid at US$875/tonne for 25,000 tonnes.

No, I don’t understand it either.

It sounds like book building for an international IPO. The lowest bidder gets all they want and if the offer isn’t fully met it goes to the next bidder at their price and so on until the order is filled.

This would be quite strange though, since there are only a few bidders (i.e., rice exporting countries) and you would think a rice exporting country would try to get the best price. But, they actually don’t. Local prices are in fact driven by international prices and governments don’t produce rice. They have to buy from the local millers and pay them accordingly. Governments don’t want local rice prices to rise too much, fueling inflation and major local discontent.

One Thai newspaper wrote earlier last week that if Iraq or Iran, I can’t remember which, opened up a tender for rice, the price would immediately go up to US$1,300/tonne.

So, why don’t governments get together and fix prices? Because some of importers have foolishly let their inventories fall dangerously low and if the exporting countries try to artificially set prices, their purchase system falls apart. Local millers start doing their own deals.

I’m not sure if I understand this correctly. But, if I am, this doesn’t look very good.

It’s every man and country for themselves.

Hoard if you like your rice.

If you wanted to do that you would have to try and fix the costs of the inputs needed to grow rice as well, otherwise you would see a major drop off in rice production. Plus, you would have to try and fix the weather to make sure it doesn't short production as well. Trying to keep the prices of ag commodities low for so long is part of what got us into this fix as it keep third world countries from developing efficient agricultural practices.

[Chuck Bao]

If you wanted to do that you would have to try and fix the costs of the inputs needed to grow rice as well, otherwise you would see a major drop off in rice production. Plus, you would have to try and fix the weather to make sure it doesn't short production as well. Trying to keep the prices of ag commodities low for so long is part of what got us into this fix as it keep third world countries from developing efficient agricultural practices.


Trying to keep prices low after already trebling? I don't think costs have risen that much and the weather, at least in Thailand, has been quite favourable.

Besides, the Thai government does occasionally put an artificial floor on rice prices when they are too low by buying at a set price in the market. Why not the reverse?

I know that I don't have an answer. I'm just trying to figure out what is going to happen with the food crisis seeming to be worsening.

[royalfan5]

Trying to keep prices low after already trebling? I don't think costs have risen that much and the weather, at least in Thailand, has been quite favourable.

Besides, the Thai government does occasionally put an artificial floor on rice prices when they are too low by buying at a set price in the market. Why not the reverse?

I know that I don't have an answer. I'm just trying to figure out what is going to happen with the food crisis seeming to be worsening.
By keeping prices low, I meant historically speaking. Rice production hasn't been invested in at near the level of other commodities, and as such hasn't grown near as much in productivity as other commodities. High prices will eventually cure high prices, but adding a price ceiling will just create a black market for rice. Perhaps, a better solution for the near term is to adapt diets to incorporate other commodities. There will be huge jump in wheat production this year. Maybe it's time to start trading rice for flour until rice production can catch back up? In general, production of grains is going to surge worldwide this year. The downside for people who eat lots of rice, is that rice isn't on of them because of locational reasons.

[Rogue]

Super stiff substances would not deform but would snap when stressed and would have a detrimental affect on occupants. Ahem, getting back to lowering the problem of overpopulation...seriously. The kid-ceiling hasn't worked well in China. What will?

And nuke power. Not a bad idea. Electric cars, light rails to and from the 'burbs, and it's just a matter of time before BRJ reminds us of the low fuel cost of living in the city.

:les:Stop making so many babies!

[Okla-homey]

There's something else at work that ain't helping the world food supply. We don't see it here in the US because we are all Tubby McWell-Feds. See, gov't Ag subsidies to US agri-business keeps prices depressed internationally on lots of commodities. Put another way, because we sell cheap and plentiful food here and to the rest of the developed world, the undeveloped world stays unfarmed and hungry because it has no cash to buy the stuff, even though its cheap.

Take a place like Angola for example. Not a nice place, but its tenth on the list of countries with the most airable land. Unfortunately, Big Ag won't bother because there's not enough money in it given the cost of infrastructure development that would be required to make it at least break even. Thus, Angola remains unfarmed. Therefore, a continent that could use the chow goes hungry.

If Uncle Sam quit subsidizing Farmer Joe in Nebraska, worldwide food prices could rise enough to make it worth farming Angola, thus increasing the worldwide food supply. Thing is, I don't see Uncle sam cutting off Farmer Joe anytime soon.

[royalfan5]

There's something else at work that ain't helping the world food supply. We don't see it here in the US because we are all Tubby McWell-Feds. See, gov't Ag subsidies to US agri-business keeps prices depressed internationally on lots of commodities. Put another way, because we sell cheap and plentiful food here and to the rest of the developed world, the undeveloped world stays unfarmed and hungry because it has no cash to buy the stuff, even though its cheap.

Take a place like Angola for example. Not a nice place, but its tenth on the list of countries with the most airable land. Unfortunately, Big Ag won't bother because there's not enough money in it given the cost of infrastructure development that would be required to make it at least break even. Thus, Angola remains unfarmed. Therefore, a continent that could use the chow goes hungry.

If Uncle Sam quit subsidizing Farmer Joe in Nebraska, worldwide food prices could rise enough to make it worth farming Angola, thus increasing the worldwide food supply. Thing is, I don't see Uncle sam cutting off Farmer Joe anytime soon.
To be fair, the government is subsidizing ADM and Cargill by stimulating the production of cheap grain more than they are subsidizing Joe Farmer. At current prices, worldwide production will jump this year, and into the future as the former Soviet Countries, South America, and South Africa crank up production. The main question is whether those countries will allow exports like we do.

[Stoop Dawg]

Gimme a break.


Sam’s Club followed Seattle-based Costco Wholesale Corp., which put limits in at least some stores on bulk rice purchases.

The limits affect 20-pound bags, not retail-sized portions.

Sam’s Club said it will limit customers to four bags at a time of imported jasmine, basmati and long grain white rice.


USA Rice Federation spokesman David Coia said there is no rice shortage in the United States.

“It’s possible that small restaurants and bodega-type neighborhood stores may be purchasing rice in larger quantities than they do typically to avoid higher prices,” Coia said about the warehouse chain restrictions.

U.S. production of long grain and medium grain rice is strong, and the global crop is larger than ever, Childs said. But with some of the principal exporters of the higher-priced rices, such as India and Vietnam, shunning foreign sales to control prices at home and the cost of food generally going up, the price of rice has been climbing to new heights.

I can't find the article I read last week, but well over 80% of the rice consumed in the U.S. is grown in the U.S. The current "shortage" is in so-called "specialty" rice exported from asian countries. Those countries are limiting exports to keep their domestic prices low and meet their internal demand.

[Stoop Dawg]

Here's a thought. Highways for the exclusive use of semis. We can call them "semi-ways." Imagine a four lane undivided interstate system just for long-haul trucking. Make the speed limit unlimited and let 'em git after it. That way, if they crack-up, no one in a four-wheeler gets hurt. Anything above a certain axle weight would have to use the semi-way.

I imagine we already have enough right-of-way to build it. Either in the median on existing interstates, or to one side. Sure, we'd have to add some bridges, but if it makes it feasible to put more efficient, lighter passenger vehicles on the road, what are we waiting for?

Money.

Driven on the existing interstate highway system lately?

[Stoop Dawg]

If Uncle Sam quit subsidizing Farmer Joe in Nebraska, we could probably afford my "semi-highway" idea.

Brilliant!

[mdklatt]

Here's a thought. Highways for the exclusive use of semis. We can call them "semi-ways."

How about we call them "railroads" instead?

[royalfan5]

Brilliant!

The 5 Billion in farm subsidies probably wouldn't go very far if injected into transportation infrastructure.