skippy the bush kangaroo: battle rice

Sunday, April 06, 2008

battle rice

and, no, it's not an iron chef rerun. it's real; and it's implication...staggeringly depressing.

a global rice shortage that has seen prices of one of the world's most important staple foods increase by 50 per cent in the past two weeks alone is triggering an international crisis, with countries banning export and threatening serious punishment for hoarders.

...the consequences are visible across the globe. in bangladesh, government-run outlets that sell subsidised rice have been besieged by queues comprised largely of the country's middle classes, who will queue for hours to purchase five kilograms of rice sold at 30 per cent cheaper than on the open market.

...in the philippines, where the national bureau of investigation has been called in to raid traders suspected of hoarding rice to push up the prices, activists have warned of the risk of food riots- the guardian

Labels: food, food supply