The Volatile Politics Of Rice -- Michael Richardson, The Japan TimesSINGAPORE — A campaign promise that helped bring Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her political party to power in July elections is roiling the global market for rice, Asia's staple food that is now eaten by nearly half the world's population.
They promised their government would alleviate poverty in the countryside and raise rural income levels by buying unmilled rice, known as paddy, from Thailand's eight million rice growers at 15,000 baht ($480) per ton — double the pre-election price.
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My Comment: Rice has always been Asia's major food staple .... with Thailand being the world's biggest exporter of the crop. But this dependency has meant that for consumers and the governments that monitor this very closely ..... they have always been one bad harvest away from disaster. The prospect of higher prices for rice in Asia .... that's a road that many in the region shudder when they think about it for it would mean social and political unrest that would impact everyone on the Asian continent.
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