Cambodia's government is selling stockpiled rice in a bid to halt soaring prices (Photo: AFP)FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2008
By Hannah Belcher
Al Jazeera
Cambodia has become the latest Asian country to impose restrictions on exports of rice – the staple food for half the world's population.
The government announced the two-month export ban to ensure "food security" on Thursday, blaming surging overseas demand – particularly in Africa and the Middle East - for the skyrocketing cost of rice.
Worldwide rising demand has seen rice stocks plummet to their lowest in about three decades, with average prices doubling over the last five years.
Earlier this month the UN secretary general warned that global food stocks had fallen to their lowest level in decades, driving prices up and threatening millions with starvation.
That is worrying governments – especially in the poorer Asian nations where a rise of even a few cents can for millions mean a difference between surviving or going hungry.
Earlier this month, the rising cost of rice brought protesters onto the streets of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
And recently the Philippines, the world's top importer of rice, asked Vietnam, the world's number two exporter, to guarantee supplies.
It was an unusual plea, and seen as a sign of growing anxiety among nations over how they will feed their people.
Already many rice farmers in the Philippines are being extra vigilant about their planting techniques, saying they cannot afford to loose a single grain come harvest.
The government is trying to play down the problem, but farmers say the country is facing a serious supply crisis.
"The population of the Philippines is growing, now its 87 to 90 million people," Jimmy Tadeo of the National Rice Farmers Council told Al Jazeera.
"But the use of land for rice is shrinking. The government has not prepared for this dilemma."
Like many countries in Asia, rice is the staple food in the Philippines.
Generous amounts are served in restaurants and cafeterias, but much goes to waste.
Now the Philippine agriculture ministry has told the restaurant owners to start dishing up smaller portions.
'Big burden'
Filipinos consume nearly 12 million tones of rice each year but the government's National Food Authority says it is finding it increasingly hard to source supplies.
This week the government signed a deal with Vietnam for a shipment of one and a half million tones.
"The price of rice may go up but we won't have a shortage, the supply will continue," said Gloria Arroyo, the Philippine President.
Certain rice varieties, she has promised, would to be kept affordable for poorer households.
But a growing number of consumers say prices are still too high.
"It's too much, it has added a big burden to our budget," one shopper in the capital, Manila, told Al Jazeera. "Rice is really expensive now"
The Philippine rice industry says the global crisis is just one part of the problem.
It is also blaming a slowdown in domestic production and corruption in the supply chain.
The government has blamed black-market traders for fuelling the rise and says it will clamp down on anyone who artificially jacks up prices.
"There are traders out there who are taking advantage of the situation," Arthur Yap, the Philippine agriculture secretary told Al Jazeera.
"So we have asked the national food authority to me more stringent."
Rice shortages have been politicised in the Philippines and could well be once again.
In an effort to fend off the crisis the Philippine government has unveiled plans to boost production by planting an additional 2.7 million acres during the coming rainy season.
Critics however say it's a damage control measure in a country where rice has always been a politically sensitive crop.
The government announced the two-month export ban to ensure "food security" on Thursday, blaming surging overseas demand – particularly in Africa and the Middle East - for the skyrocketing cost of rice.
Worldwide rising demand has seen rice stocks plummet to their lowest in about three decades, with average prices doubling over the last five years.
Earlier this month the UN secretary general warned that global food stocks had fallen to their lowest level in decades, driving prices up and threatening millions with starvation.
That is worrying governments – especially in the poorer Asian nations where a rise of even a few cents can for millions mean a difference between surviving or going hungry.
Earlier this month, the rising cost of rice brought protesters onto the streets of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
And recently the Philippines, the world's top importer of rice, asked Vietnam, the world's number two exporter, to guarantee supplies.
It was an unusual plea, and seen as a sign of growing anxiety among nations over how they will feed their people.
Already many rice farmers in the Philippines are being extra vigilant about their planting techniques, saying they cannot afford to loose a single grain come harvest.
The government is trying to play down the problem, but farmers say the country is facing a serious supply crisis.
"The population of the Philippines is growing, now its 87 to 90 million people," Jimmy Tadeo of the National Rice Farmers Council told Al Jazeera.
"But the use of land for rice is shrinking. The government has not prepared for this dilemma."
Like many countries in Asia, rice is the staple food in the Philippines.
Generous amounts are served in restaurants and cafeterias, but much goes to waste.
Now the Philippine agriculture ministry has told the restaurant owners to start dishing up smaller portions.
'Big burden'
Filipinos consume nearly 12 million tones of rice each year but the government's National Food Authority says it is finding it increasingly hard to source supplies.
This week the government signed a deal with Vietnam for a shipment of one and a half million tones.
"The price of rice may go up but we won't have a shortage, the supply will continue," said Gloria Arroyo, the Philippine President.
Certain rice varieties, she has promised, would to be kept affordable for poorer households.
But a growing number of consumers say prices are still too high.
"It's too much, it has added a big burden to our budget," one shopper in the capital, Manila, told Al Jazeera. "Rice is really expensive now"
The Philippine rice industry says the global crisis is just one part of the problem.
It is also blaming a slowdown in domestic production and corruption in the supply chain.
The government has blamed black-market traders for fuelling the rise and says it will clamp down on anyone who artificially jacks up prices.
"There are traders out there who are taking advantage of the situation," Arthur Yap, the Philippine agriculture secretary told Al Jazeera.
"So we have asked the national food authority to me more stringent."
Rice shortages have been politicised in the Philippines and could well be once again.
In an effort to fend off the crisis the Philippine government has unveiled plans to boost production by planting an additional 2.7 million acres during the coming rainy season.
Critics however say it's a damage control measure in a country where rice has always been a politically sensitive crop.
5 comments:
With the world financial crisis and the fall of dollars American which touch almost all the countries of the world, the speculators who lost on financial markets try now to get back on raw materials and food products (rice).
It is what explains the sharp rise in prices of the rice.
The only effective method to fight against the speculation is the administrative ban, controls and penalties .
We already bought some Kg of those spoiled rices. We can not eat them after cooking because of very bad quality rice that government sold them to Cambodian people.
អង្ករ ដែលរដ្ឋាភិបាលបញ្ចេញលក់ ជាអង្ករផ្អួរ (spoiled rice) ញ៉ាំបានតែមួយចាន រាកទៅបង្គន់បួនប្រាំដង, ប្រហែលមានជាតិគីមីពុល ក្នុងអង្ករផងតាមស្មាន ។ សូមប្រជាពលរដ្ឋទិញអង្ករទៅញ៉ាំ ប្រយ័ត្នរាកទៀត, សូមហ៊ុន សែនកុំបោកប្រាស់និងគំរាមកំហែងប្រជារាស្រ្ត! ប្រជារាស្រ្ត ជាម្ចាស់សន្លឹកឆ្នោតមិនល្ងង់ដូចក្នុងរបប"សាធារណរដ្ឋប្រជាមានិត្យកម្ពុជា យួនកាន់កាប់" ១៩៧៩ - ១៩៩០ នោះទេ។
To mix some rice with a little manioc or sweet potatoes or banana, you will see, it is very good and full of vitamins.
have a good appetite.
sounds like good news for rice growers in cambodia. now, why not increase the rice production? you see here, rice farmers or growers are a very important occupation as well as any other kind of occupations out there because with them, how are people supposed to have rice or bread for food? so the theme here is all occupations, regardless are all important in any society. so can't judge people or look down on people just because the chose to be a rice farmers or what else out there. this is a good education.
True, and we just started to focus on the rural development. There are lot of room for improvement.
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