Thread: Wal-Mart restricts rice purchases

Well, there will never be a shortage of Bullshit, eh?

"Wait! Wait! It was only yesterday, or the day before, or just before that... It is so hard to tell when doom knocks on our door everyday.

Well, as usual, when you've got a little bit of freeze-dried bullshit excreted into the media well, it quickly expands to fill the well and then the collective media brainpan."

Right...

Food Alarmism Underscores American Reality: "There will never be a shortage of bullshit." @ AMERICAN DIGEST

Implement rationing, place purchasing limits watch the demand rise...

Wondering when the Bush administration will produced a "New! Improved! Axis of Evil!" with choice rice producing countries on the list.

Perceived food shortages are one sure fire way to create panic & instability. Gotta wonder wher this is all going. Vietnam holding it's surplus, Thailand raising the price until Japan just says "NO!" China putting limits on exports, India, Pakistan too.

Bangladesh and the Philippines have a short fall? The Philippines have historically been one of the larger importers of rice in the region, Bangladesh lost crops due to storms. Who else is out of rice?

Is there really a true shortage or are the major rice exporting countries in Asia stockpiling in an attempt to drive prices up? Are the media sensationalizing the shortage and wittingly or unwittingly helping to fuel the panic?

Wal Mart certainly is. The US has PLENTY of rice, the reason it's not on the shelves is most likely greed.

Originally Posted by Mr Earl

World wide rice production has been decreasing for the past few years. Until production goes back up prices will likely continue to rise and supply continue to be strained.

Given the figures in this Article on World Rice Production

2 April 2008, Rome –

World rice production is expected to increase in 2008 by 12 million tonnes or 1.8 percent, assuming normal weather conditions, FAO said today. Production increases would ease the current very tight supply situation in key rice producing countries, according to the first FAO forecast for this year. International rice trade is expected to decrease, mainly due to restrictions in main exporting countries.

And doing a little bit of math, 12 million tonnes = 1.8% of 666 million tonnes. (one tonne = 1 metric ton) Giving a figure 70% higher than the most recent figure quoted in the article you linked to (2002/03) quoted at 384,407,000 tonnes. now either one of the figures is off a tiny bit or production has risen 70%+ inthe last five years.
I did a bit of research on rice world rice production this afternoon and found figures indicating a steady growth in rice production. The article inked to in my post states that a growth of 1.8% would fall short of the expected population growth while another artcle I found states the expected growth of 1.8% would be larger than the expected population growth. I didn't save it or a link.
California rice production was up 9% for the year 2007. even though planted acreage was down by 3%. Wheat production is expected to increase "sharply" this year, according to this brief article
cannot find recent figures but the ones I did find put world production at about 550,000,00 tonnes in 2003, FAO predicted 613,000,000 tonnes for 2004. Haven't found much on how accurate that prediction was.

The point I am making her is that US production is 2.6 times that of US demand. NOW why the fcuk does Wal-Mart need to limit the amount of rice sold in its stores? There is no apparent reason other than to heighten awareness and tickle the panic bone. Although I realize we are in a global economy and world rice prices will certainly increase in the US as they have world wide, there is absolutely no reason for the shelves to run dry. Posting this article and implementing limits is simply a way to ensure a rush on the high-priced rice as opposed to people buying other less expensive foods. Scare the people into thinking they may never see rice again and before situation is stabilized and prices drop, you get a bonus!

Originally Posted by Mid

basmati and long grain white rice.

is grown in the USA in abundance
The USA does buy Jasmin rice from Thailand.
domestic Rice grown in the USA:

Originally Posted by UC Davis

Long grain rice has a long, slender kernel, four to five times longer than its width. Cooked grains are separate, light and fluffy.
Medium grain rice has a shorter, wider kernel (two to three time llonger than its width) than long grain rice. Cooked grains are more moist and tender, and have a greater tendency to cling together than long grain.
Short grain rice has a short, plump, almost round kernel. Cooked grains are soft and cling together.
Aromatic rice has a natural aroma and flavor similar to that of popcorn or roasted nuts. The most common domestically grown aromatic rices include basmati, jasmine, and della.

• Basmati rice, when cooked, is dry and separate. It is long grain rice which swells only lengthwise when cooked, resulting in long, thin grains.

• Jasmine rice is a long grain rice which, when cooked, is soft, moist, and clings together.

• Della rice is a cross of long grain rice and basmati rice which was developed in the United States. It has an aroma and flavor similar to basmati and cooks dry and separate. However, cooked kernels are not as long and slender as basmati because the grains, when cooked, swell in both length and width, like regular long grain rice.

Sweet rice has a short, plump, opaque kernel. When cooked, this rice loses its shape and becomes very sticky and glutinous.
Arborio rice is a translucent, plump rice with a characteristic white dot at the center of the grain. By way of length/width ratio and starch characteristics, it is classified as a medium grain rice in the United States, and a short grain rice elsewhere. Most often used in cooking risotto, this rice develops a creamy texture around a chewy center

Basmati and Long grain make upthe bulk of rice grown inthe Sacramento valley in California (Those rice fields/paddys are great Pheasant hunting BTW). Texas produces a a great basmati and several southern Mississippi River states produce long grain and aromatic rices. Although short grain and glutenous rice is grown in the States these rices are by far in the minority.

Again, the limitations are a ruse or some fuck-wit sold all US rice and the US has now run out

Turning to U.S. long grain rice production, long grain production is projected the lowest since 2000 marketing period. It is projected down 8.3 percent from the 2006 marketing period at 134 million cwt. and down 24.5 percent from the record set in the 2005 marketing period. Total long grain rice production still is the 9th largest on record.

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