Friday May 02, 2008

Rationing of rice hits UK Chinese and curry restaurants

This article belongs to the Global food crisis story arc.

peakoil.com -> business.timesonline.co.uk :

Rice is being rationed in Britain as shopkeepers limit supplies to their customers to prevent hoarding. Restrictions on sales in Asian neighbourhoods are reported as emergency measures are taken by governments worldwide to combat the soaring cost of rice and prevent outbreaks of food rioting. Tilda, the biggest importer of basmati rice, said that its buyers had resorted to restricting their customers to two bags per person. According to Mr Jona-than Calland of Tilda, the retailers, who sell to the curry and Chinese restaurant trade as well as to families, are rationing their customers to two to four bags during the current fear over rice shortages. US retailers are also rationing rice, including Sam's Club, the warehouse club operator that is part of Wal-Mart.

- The Asian food crisis threatens to spill over onto the global stage, with the UK now being affected. And over at peakoil.com, on page 55 of a thread titled "The Spreading Food Crisis Thread (U.S. & World)", a fellow forummer has reported that Calgary, Alberta in Canada also "now has the rice ration in effect". For the wealthier developed countries things still look fine overall, but you never know because like I said earlier, things can get very bad, very quickly.

See also :

1. NY paper reports food rationing appearing in US
2. Thai rice price at new record high of US$1000 a tonne as Asian food crisis worsens
3. Global food crisis looms as Asia's rice bowl empties and world price soars
4. High food prices seen leading to strikes, protests in Asia

(2008-05-02 14:56:06 SGT) [Biz] Permalink

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