Rice shortage

Philippines
April 4, 2008 1:37am CST
Lately there are news here in our place that we are having rice shortage and we have to import rice from other countries. Considering that we are a rice producing country sometimes you wont believe on the news. On the other hand, I also noticed that most of our farmlands here are being converted into subdivisions and other manufacturing concerns, particularly those areas near the urban places. There are also studies coming up that big restaurants and even moneyed person usually throw out big portion of their rice consumption. The public is given information to save on eating rice. Eat only what you can. Dont take in so much rice and just leave extras on plates. Fastfood are also required to serve half order of rice to economize. Is your country suffering the same. And what are you doing to help.
1 person likes this
2 responses
• United States
5 Apr 08
Hey pal, a pinoy here. My dad works as a rice dealer, and he would tell us grim stories about how rice has become an independent economics in our country. I don't think any of the reasons you stated constituted as a serious factor in the rice shortage we have in country right now. You will be more surprised to learn that there in fact no rice shortage! There is an iduced crisis by those who, because they want to manipulate the costs of rice by having them skyrocket to a price an average Juan dela Cruz isn't gonna afford, have been hording our precious staple food in their big storage boxes. That's just how it works. It's an economy of its own. And the crisis that we have right now is a crisis of politics unable to grind it's teeth to execute the law, if it has teeth left. There is no rice shortage. There is a shortage of good people who are unfortunately unable to confront the evil big bosses of rice hoarding unmatched in our sad history.
• Philippines
8 Apr 08
Yes, I have been hearing about rice hoarding and maybe it is true, just to escalate the price and may I add so that news will be focussed on there. Hope your dad is not one of those hoarders, just kidding. Thanks for the response.
@whittby (3072)
• United States
4 Apr 08
I am amazed that this could happen. I looked up an article on Asia UPI and it listed most of the reasons you have above. Also, it said "The rice problem is made worse by rice smuggling. Unscrupulous rice traders collude with politicians and agricultural officials in hoarding rice supplies." This is worrisome considering how rice is such a staple of the diet in the Phillipines.
• Philippines
8 Apr 08
It is really sad to hear the news about that. There are news also that there are hoarding of rice but cannot be determine yet. All we can do is to save rice an our other staple products. Thanks for the response.