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2008-04-21 Home Front Economy
Food Rationing Confronts Breadbasket US Shoppers
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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-04-21 11:57|| || Front Page|| [11126 views ]  Top

#1 My contact in the Kroger dairy department informed me a few days ago that they have a surplus of eggs. This may be when I utter those famous words, "Let them eat eggs!"... advise especially valuable to vegetarians, of course.
Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife  2008-04-21 12:14||   2008-04-21 12:14|| Front Page Top

#2 Run for your lives!!!
Posted by tu3031 2008-04-21 12:17||   2008-04-21 12:17|| Front Page Top

#3 I have my garden planted. I'm not worried.
Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues  2008-04-21 12:22||   2008-04-21 12:22|| Front Page Top

#4 Sign in Tucson's "Food City" stores reads: WORLDWIDE BANANA SHORTAGE - 10 POUND MAXIMUM PER CUSTOMER (!!!)
Posted by borgboy 2008-04-21 12:46||   2008-04-21 12:46|| Front Page Top

#5 It's not everyday when my Costco store gets into Rantburg.

I will say this, in the Bay Area there is a definite shortage of Kosher for Passover matza.
Posted by Penguin 2008-04-21 12:54||   2008-04-21 12:54|| Front Page Top

#6 Those bitter farmers in Flyover Land need to stop clinging to their crops.
Posted by Barack Obama 2008-04-21 12:57||   2008-04-21 12:57|| Front Page Top

#7 Notice that most of the examples they cite are of things like Asian rice, and from an area (Silicon Gulch in California) that have a lot of Asian immigrants.
In other words, the immigrants can't get the specialty items they are used to. Therefore, the entire country is facing a shortage of food.
Of course, once the Obamessiah is inaugurated, all of this will magically go away.
Posted by Rambler in California">Rambler in California  2008-04-21 13:03||   2008-04-21 13:03|| Front Page Top

#8 The reason there are any rice shortages in the US is because the rest of the world is desperate for rice.

There, it is a staple. In the US, except for small groups, it is just an occasional food. So if you are a rice grower or wholesaler, you are shipping as much rice out of the US as possible.
Posted by Anonymoose 2008-04-21 13:08||   2008-04-21 13:08|| Front Page Top

#9 What sort of person buys 50 lb bags of rice?
Posted by RWV 2008-04-21 14:24||   2008-04-21 14:24|| Front Page Top

#10 Hungry Asians.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-04-21 14:39||   2008-04-21 14:39|| Front Page Top

#11 There isn't even a shortage of rice. Only rice (like Basmati) that Asian nations have put on export restrictions. Anonymous high-tech professional can buy all the 500 lb. loads of American rice he wants, even the type favored by Asians. Prices will rise as he and is friends insists on hoarding and there will be spot shortages as rice is taken out of storage and shipped.
Posted by ed 2008-04-21 14:48||   2008-04-21 14:48|| Front Page Top

#12 We grow plenty of rice down under, but it appears to be the wrong sort.
"Australia grows temperate rice, a medium-grained variety that Mr Helou said was "a small part of the total mix.

The greatest part of the rice trade, by a long way, is long grain, which we don't produce much of in this country."

But, he said, in the medium grain segment, Australia was a major player. The medium grain rice is used for risotto or sushi.

"It is a rounder, shorter stickier grain," Mr Helou said, favoured in Europe, the Pacific region, and parts of Asia and the Middle East.

Mr Helou said the Australian industry was currently focussed on domestic needs. "There will be some small exports, but it is the smallest on record."

Major shortages and the most dramatic price spike is occurring in long grain rice.

Vietnam, along with the big producing nations of China, India and Pakistan, has restricted exports to ensure domestic supplies, helping push by the benchmark price by more than 50 per cent in the last month.

"Today there is only one effective seller of long grain rice, and that is Thailand, and they are reeling from the impact of high demand," Mr Helou said.
Posted by tipper 2008-04-21 15:08||   2008-04-21 15:08|| Front Page Top

#13 Much ado about nothing. These people buying designer rice at $15.99 a 20 lb bag could switch to Carolina Gold at $7 a bag. But, nooo... - that would be slumming it. What a buncha pansies.
Posted by Zhang Fei">Zhang Fei  2008-04-21 16:08|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com]  2008-04-21 16:08|| Front Page Top

#14 Plenty of Basmati and similar grown in Louisiana and the Carolinas.

Posted by OldSpook 2008-04-21 17:20||   2008-04-21 17:20|| Front Page Top

#15  It's pretty much a fuss about nothing currently but the Farming conglomerates have no loyalty to the US and will ship their produce to the buyers with the highest prices. Commodities are attractive with a weak dollar and prices will get driven up by speculators just as Oil has been. So we could see shortages in the future.

It's Short grain rice the Asians want and which is in short supply. Medium grain "New Type" rices is better but they will not even think of eating it. Rice production in California is down, Farmers have sold their water rights and allotments to Los Angles. All. the Thai Jasmine rice has disappeared off the local shelves. I can't even find Shirakiku rice in 20 lb bags locally. I have 80 Lbs of rice and need to get 20 more. I haven't checked on Long Grain rice but it's purchased in 100lb bags by the Mexicans locally just like Flour. Plenty of 5 lb bags of rice on the local shelves.
Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2008-04-21 17:47||   2008-04-21 17:47|| Front Page Top

#16 Patel is an Indian name. The Basmati rice makes sense.
Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-04-21 17:59||   2008-04-21 17:59|| Front Page Top

#17 "Wrong sort" > read, need RIGHT RICE FOR THE RIGHT CULTURAL DISH. Goes to flavor, food enjoyment, + lead times for using up leftovers. Here on Guam, most locals and emigres prefer the GUAM, AUSTRALIAN OR CALIFORNIA-BRAND CALROSE RICE.
"Jasmine" rice is considered "Diet" rice - good for selective/niche food dishes and for dishes which are to be quickly consumed, BUT NOT FOR ALL-AROUND [FLAVORED][FAVORI-I-I-TE]MAIN COURSES + NOT FOR LT LEFTOVERS. CALROSE > ONE RICE FOR ANY EVERY EACH AND ALL DISHES, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, ANYONE + EVERYONE.

D *** NG IT, SUPPORT AMERIKA AND THE USSA, SUPPORT THE NATIONAL AND GLOBAL MARX/STALINREICH -BUY CALROSE, YOU TRAITOR TO SOCIALISM AND THE PEOPLE YOU!
Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-04-21 19:31||   2008-04-21 19:31|| Front Page Top

#18 Wife usually buys Thai Jasmine but other's are good to. Today she bought 25lbs of Thai Jasmine (three horses brand) Milagrosa for $22. Normal price was $18. The local Viet grocery in the west burbs (chi town) had lots of it. So did the other Viet groceries. Sounds like the Mountain View folks are just having fun gouging their customers...
Posted by 3dc 2008-04-21 20:59||   2008-04-21 20:59|| Front Page Top

23:58 JosephMendiola
23:51 Redneck Jim
23:40 Pappy
23:40 Redneck Jim
23:36 JosephMendiola
23:34 Redneck Jim
23:34 JosephMendiola
23:28 JosephMendiola
23:24 Old Patriot
23:10 Mullah Richard
23:05 Mullah Richard
22:54 Scott R
22:54 Free Radical
22:44 Frank G
22:42 Free Radical
22:09 Sock Puppet of Texas
22:06 M. Murcek
22:05 Sock Puppet of Texas
22:03 Steve White
22:03 M. Murcek
22:02 M. Murcek
21:59 James Carville
21:58 Glenmore
21:56 Blinky Slolet6376









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