reply on: Rising Rice Prices: A Looming Challenge for Vulnerable Economies \ stacker news ~econ

10 sats \ 5 replies \ @TNStacker 2 Jan \ parent \ on: Rising Rice Prices: A Looming Challenge for Vulnerable Economies econ

In today's world, farmers can chose to sell internationally pretty quickly. These local markets can easily be disrupted. It is why these countries have controls and tarrifs to keep cheaper imported rice from killing theocal market.

31 sats \ 3 replies \ @john_doe 4 Jan

It makes sense and I agree. I didn't study all the countries producing rice but at least all the countries I have been to where people commonly eat rice are also producers, not necessarily internationally though (e.g.: who cares about rice from Indonesia, never seen it in supermarkets of other regional countries). And countries like Japan have tariffs like you mentioned anyway, so I don't see there either higher international price of rice affecting protected markets (or maybe so small I didn't notice it as a consumer?). Maybe Chinese communities overseas would be affected? But I may be missing some elements, I have never been to countries like Pakistan where it looks more socially unstable.

20 sats \ 2 replies \ @TomK OP 4 Jan

I think there are immense differences between regions. But it's always the same candidates (Africa) that are hit hard if prices spike. Here in Spain there was no change within 3 years

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @john_doe 5 Jan

Ah I see. I thought the discussion about the price spike was a shorter time frame. If it is on a time frame of 3 years then at least for Japan, due to the corona virus money, the price of rice has risen (and so did everything). I am wondering if in Spain what you experienced was not just a change of producer. In Japan for example, almonds I usually bought are now from Vietnam, brands of fermented soya (nattô) I was used to buy also changed their way of production. A friend who works in the industry told me that the producers who sell domestically to the supermarkets are forced to sell at the same price and hence became poorer because of the price of their inputs grew (during your time frame of 3 years). So consumers don't necessarily see the difference in the supermarkets, but if they buy to the farmers directly (like me), then they see the difference. That being said, I really would like to go to Africa to see how it is over there. It would be interesting to see how price spikes impacts people.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @TomK OP 5 Jan

Oh, it's possible that they changed suppliers, yes.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @john_doe 4 Jan

I digress but by the way I had quite a good experience with rice in Vietnam. Relatively cheap, quite good and somewhat unique in the texture. However it was not sold in supermarkets and I had to dive in the small shops to get it.