Rice Panic Abating?

[Hannah Bell]

I draw your attention to these recent reports:

4/25: Rice Prices Down on Poor Demand (India)

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Markets/Commodities/Rice_prices_down_on_poor_demand/articleshow/2982836.cms


4/25: CBOT Rice Ends Mixed; Shakes Off Heavy Losses

http://ifs.futuresource.com/news/story.jsp?cID=RICE&iFSNi=i4864598198870212672


4/28: Thai Prices May Ease 20%

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSSP17740220080428


Australian Rice Chief on the US "Shortages," (sometimes blamed on the aussie drought):

Points out the US is a massive exporter, Australia a small one: "We are nothing compared to them. As if they are going to run out of rice in America."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23595713-643,00.html


And in China, supposedly the major source of the "dramatically increasing demand":

"In China, a net rice exporter, some people are even unaware that the grain has hit a record high on world markets.

'I am not going to hoard any rice, prices are very stable here,' said Mr Hu, an office worker in Beijing.

'Is the international price at a record high? I didn't even know that.'"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080425/ts_nm/food_rice_asia_dc_2


Is it too early to say: "tolja so"?

Maybe, but never too early to say, "Don't believe every scare story you see in the papers or on TV".

[gatorboy]

1. I was never worried.

My state harvested over half of all the rice harvested in the United States last year. We've got plenty. :)

[OmahaBlueDog]

3. Arkansas?

[Mojorabbit]

7. I was worried for

the people trying to survive on nothing in the third world countries. I hope the Philippines can get some now.

[gatorboy]

12. I hope you don't think I meant I was never worried about the third world problem.

I simply meant that I was aware that we never had a shortage problem. It was rice markets being manipulated. Much like the way Enron played California like a fiddle during their energy crisis.

[Mojorabbit]

13. No I did

not mean that at all. My apologies if my reply came off that way!

[gatorboy]

15. No apologies necessary.

I just didn't want to sound any more assholish than I probably already do. :P

[Hannah Bell]

8. I didn't know one state accounts for more than half of US rice production.

That tells you something right there re supply, since the US is one of the top 5 exporters, & I'm sure there must be more territory in the US that could produce rice.

Which state?

[gatorboy]

10. Arkansas!

OmahaBlueDog wins the Fried Rice special!

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. For a moment, I thought you meant the Sec State was going to be Veep

Seriously, I hope this will get some relief into places like Haiti, where they are literally eating dirt because of high rice prices.

[MiniMe]

4. I'm still panicked that Condi is our Secretary of State

[Breeze54]

9. LMAO!

:rofl:

[Arctic Dave]

5. You mean to tell me that someone would manufacture a

controversy to make money off of it. You, Miss Hannah Bell, are just too cynical. I don't think I can be friends with someone so jaded.

[uppityperson]

6. But they were rationing chicken today! OMG OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3219873&mesg_id=3219873

[Hannah Bell]

11. Rubber chickens too!

http://protium.blogspot.com/2007/12/great-rubber-chicken-shortage.html

[Hannah Bell]

14. am kick