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| Authoritarian governments start stockpiling food to fight public anger |
| 2011-01-29 |
| Authoritarian governments across the world are aggressively stockpiling food as a buffer against soaring food costs which they fear may stoke popular discontent. Commodities traders have warned they are seeing the first signs of panic buying from states concerned about the political implications of rising prices for staple crops. However, the tactic risks simply further pushing up prices, analysts have warned, pushing a spiral of food inflation. Governments in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa have recently made large food purchases on the open market in the wake of unrest in Tunisia which deposed president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. Resentment at food shortages and high prices, as well as repression and corruption, drove the popular uprising which swept away his government. Youths reportedly chanted "bring us sugar!" in the demonstrations which toppled his regime. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #6 They don't "hand out food". It gets sold in the shops, like nearly everything else. The major problems are that it's highly regulated and, again, there's lots of inefficiencies and corruption in the systems. As far as "Government Pita as Policy"- it's standard in many countries. It's nothing new and is more of a 'social justice' thing than trying to calm the population. Mexico subsidizes maize, for example. And Japan cuts its farmers a lot of slack legally and monetarily, essentially subsidizing rice. List of grain-producing nations here. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2011-01-29 22:41 |
| #5 They are going to just hand out the food to everyone, the very people who are attempting to topple the gov, just the poor and starving, just to the most loyal, or just to those who are officially government workers? If they use that time to figure out and fix what is wrong, fine. If Government Pita as Policy happens because the population is just pissed and hate getting sawdust bread from corrupt gov, I'm going to just have to plant a crapload of wheat to meet that demand because the 6 star hotel building king from sod starts splashing around a wheat price 1.5 or whatever times US domestic price to guar-un-tee sale and delivery in a high demand market...except farming makes dust, which according to the EPA is no legal and requires a fine. So assuming these countries don't cull their population one way or another, or the perpetually pissed are placated, the US et al countries who still have people who know how to farm should be revving up yet the US government is attempting to make that offer and ability less accessable. Who else can produce grain big time - Poland? Ukraine? Russia? Canada? Who am I missing (and I don't mean to exclude people who do it well like Italy et al, but when I'm talking 1000 acre farm I'm talking about a very small farm) So yes bully for them nice move, not my point it will fan the anger if they don't get it fixed however that may be the first go-round, a move to bide time. Wasn't it 2008 when the price of pasta went ape in Europe and people got a little pissed about it? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-01-29 21:50 |
| #4 They have also been seen rounding up circus clowns. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2011-01-29 21:40 |
| #3 By Ben Farmer in Islamabad lol Farmin B Hard has competition |
| Posted by: Beavis 2011-01-29 19:48 |
| #2 Not really. There is inflation. The areas mentioned have both poor agriculture and distribution systems. Infrastructure is in short supply, but corruption isn't. It's also not the first time. There is plenty of historical data, if you bother to look. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2011-01-29 19:38 |
| #1 Bullll'shit. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-01-29 17:54 |