The price of rice

[Jim Beaux]

The BBC has just reported that this is causing major problems out east. Is it?

[kalina]

The BBC has just reported that this is causing major problems out east. Is it?

Having eaten more than enough rice in my life, I could live without it :)

[Trogdor]

I just wanna know why white food, like white rice, flours and such are so dirt cheap, yet stuff like wild rice, whole grains and such cost a small fortune such small amounts?

Call me old fashioned, but all that processing and bleaching outta raise the price, which it did way back when.

[Ecstatic]

Largely it's an economy of scale: the vast majority of grains are highly refined, so the production of those grains per unit is much lower than of the unrefined type.

As for rice, another factor is that wild rice isn't actually rice at all; it's a type of grass. Technically, so is rice, but they belong to two distinct but closely related families: the four species of wild rice are the genus Zizania (Canada rice, Indian rice, water oats are common names). These grasses grow in shallow water in small lakes and streams, with only the flowering head of the plant rising above the water. Zizania belongs to the family Oryzeae, as does true rice, or genus Oryza. However, they are separate genii, and where Oryza is very widely cultivated, the Zizania grasses are much rarer, and in fact one type, Texas wild rice, is in danger of becoming extinct. Another, Manchurian wild rice, is native to China, where it has almost vanished, but it was introduced to New Zealand and is considered an invasive species there.

[flombago]

What I've seen in the news is that the price of rice in India, Thailand, and Vietnam is up about 50%. Since this hurts poor people the governments of India and Vietnam have stopped exports -- this will drive up supply inside the country and help keep prices down. Otherwise they'd have a revolt. Thailand hasn't followed suit yet but is considering limiting exports. Those being the three major exporters, the price is bound to rise further elsewhere, and there could be shortages.

So today I bought two 10 lb bags of Thai Jasmine rice and one 5 lb bag of sweet rice. I love rice ! Ever since I had two Chinese roomates in college. Hopefully that will get me through the present crisis. And it might seem like I'm "hoarding", but I'd like to think I'm stimulating the global economy.

[Jim Beaux]

What I've seen in the news is that the price of rice in India, Thailand, and Vietnam is up about 50%. Since this hurts poor people the governments of India and Vietnam have stopped exports -- this will drive up supply inside the country and help keep prices down. Otherwise they'd have a revolt. Thailand hasn't followed suit yet but is considering limiting exports. Those being the three major exporters, the price is bound to rise further elsewhere, and there could be shortages.

So today I bought two 10 lb bags of Thai Jasmine rice and one 5 lb bag of sweet rice. I love rice ! Ever since I had two Chinese roomates in college. Hopefully that will get me through the present crisis. And it might seem like I'm "hording", but I'd like to think I'm stimulating the global economy.

The BBC report was a major price increase in the Philippines driven by population growth. The coping system was not rationing but subsidisation for a certain amount of rice per head per week, with long queues in Manila for the subsidised rice. I just wondered how big this impact really was.

[Crystal C]

The BBC report was a major price increase in the Philippines driven by population growth. The coping system was not rationing but subsidisation for a certain amount of rice per head per week, with long queues in Manila for the subsidised rice. I just wondered how big this impact really was.

....................
http://www.planebuzz.com/gas_prices.jpg

[Trogdor]

Pffft, refined grains suck ass anyhow. All they are good for are getting a fat ass, diabeties, and an impacted colon. :p