Why India's rice ban could cause a global food crisis | About That

Shoppers around the world began panic buying after India banned the export of non-basmati white rice. About That producer Lauren Bird explains who the ban will impact the most and whether there will be enough rice to go around.
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For more than 80 years, CBC News has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians.

[@libshastra]

The rice ban is not terrible as it seems. India banned export of wheat last year and ended up exporting them through Govt to Govt deals (Mostly African countries). Bad for markets, great for Govts and their welfare/aid programs. Unlike western countries, India does not have a commodities future markets, so volatility wrecks a lot of havoc in the market and seasonal inflation spikes more dramatic than western countries. This was something Modi’s farm laws would have fixed.

[@sidkings]

I hear India has a shortage of wheat this year and will actually start importing it. Even ditching the extortionate import duty. Source: First Post

[@libshastra]

@@sidkings they did that same time last year and the year before that. It’ll do that until September and then stop importing.

[@khan.954]

​@@sidkingsMost likely from Russia

[@jaishree701]

​@@libshastrathey must ban wheat import since flour prices are also going high

[@anantbhushangaur1972]

Great decision by Indian government 🙏🔥

[@EcoHouseThailand]

Here in Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter, there is no export ban, but due to climate change farmers are no longer able to grow 2 crops per year, without using well water. The government recently proposed banning a second rice crop to save water. Rice farmers get as low as $0.17 per kilogram, which is less than it costs to grow without government subsidies. Many farmers near me are no longer selling to the big rice companies but just keeping their crops for food and seed for next year

[@sudhirghosh_]

U guys don't have 1.43 Billion people

[@EcoHouseThailand]

@@sudhirghosh_ how much do your farmers get paid per kg

[@jaishree701]

😮😅

[@jaishree701]

​@@EcoHouseThailandextremely terrible 😔😔 india is badly overcrowded 😊

[@EcoHouseThailand]

@@jaishree701 How much do Indian farmers get paid per kg of rice that they grow?

[@strombreaker3446]

But India doesn't have food for its own people according to western intellectual.

[@kibblesmcknob617]

The price of rice was already skyrocketing… a small bag over $20.00. Oil too… staples for many cultures here in Canada.

[@jilbertb]

Buy American rice!

[@meaghanorlinski8464]

That is mostly greed on part of our oligarch grocers.

[@meaghanorlinski8464]

@@jilbertbthat has high levels of arsenic as most rice fields used to be cotton fields, and if the history of US cotton couldn't get worse they used to use a lot of arsenic to grow/harvest it.

[@mayan5600]

​@@jilbertbAmerican rice is not premium. Plus its bad.

[@Alwaysawareone]

As you know India ranks 107th out of 121 countries on Global Hunger Index. So we are super hungry. Ultimately, we need to import grains like rice, wheat, etc. From which ours.

[@nps7742]

Indian rice Indian decisions what the problem....?

[@khan.954]

As a world saviour its lindus responsibility to keep exporting rice otherwise get discarded from UN....😮

[@Alwaysawareone]

As you know India ranks 107th out of 121 countries on Global Hunger Index. So we are super hungry. Ultimately, we need to import grains like rice, wheat, etc. From which ours.

[@abhi-ly8cn]

@@khan.954 Chuslam behind every problem.

[@101starting]

If we would help our farmers instead of hurting them 😂

[@kibblesmcknob617]

Guess it’s time for noodles.

[@yte549]

Here in India , the availability of rice is lower due to bad climate..... Hope everything will be all right soon

[@sergueivergounov1961]

This is a free market, people. India changed its opinion, so what? They have any right to not export rice.

[@shivam_nagar69]

We ranks 107th in food hunger index. It means we are unable to supply to any food.

[@Jsarmy87124]

well each country should eat what he produce

[@muskduh]

You can't spell price without 'rice'

[@SMac86]

Wait you can get a tonne of rice for $455? What a deal!

[@alinadebbarma2553]

The government of India needs to look into the needs of the country as well. And it's an excellent choice to put your own nations interest first rather than just thinking about monetary profits. And western countries can stop pretending to care about the upcoming global food crisis , because this recent move by India is just an excuse for you to lecture others on what to do and not to do. So please, take a hike.

[@EJ-zj7tt]

the bowl thing was dumb :)

[@robertchen4673]

Well, Indian rice is mainly for Middle Eastern Cuisine, there are countless substitutes for it. Stop fueling panic CBC

[@homefrontsai]

who told you that indian rice is mainly for middle eastern cuisine....In middle east they mostly use Basmati long grained rice which is used for rice mixed with meat(Biryani) kind of items. But india's small and thin grained rice is mainly used for making various south Indian breakfasts like Idli,Dosas and to be consumed separately with Pulses.

[@robertchen4673]

@@homefrontsai yo man, India accounts for over 70% of the world's basmati rice production. You can call Basmati an Indian rice for sure, though I might be little bit general

[@shivam_nagar69]

rice bags be like i will get pissed if you say anything to me but will do the same to others because ABBU told us to do this@@khan.954

[@JUPITER69966]

Some million people or 17% of world population. India decided 17% of world population.

[@JhabruTiger]

West will criticize INDIA if Local prices of rice in INDIA got increased & many people go to bed hungry, West will also criticize INDIA if it bans rice exports to stop these things happening. Conclusion- India shouldn't give a sh!t about what west says, it should do what's best for it's own people not worldwide population cause they wouldn't give a sh!t if anything bad happen in INDIA.

[@chrismathewjoseph1283]

On the other isle of the spectrum, the a lot paddy fields in south-western India has been left uncultivated for years. The paddy fields my family owns has been left uncultivated for 5 years since after labor & production costs, profits were minimal. Since many of them are getting employed in a safer employment status as in job security & regular incomes & some don't bother to get engaged in the agricultural sector because of prejudice. Also the weather is unpredictable, but we might resume crop production this year. Government must address the problem of leaving paddy fields uncultivated & implement spread of agricultural machinery, manual labor is very inefficient & the harvest is very low in quantity. We need machines, I'm confident enough that if we address these problems; we know we can double our rice production in our country easily. Look how China has doubled theirs, we need tech here as well. No one should be forced to haul tilling & harvesting machines 2,000km away from other states to harvest their crops. Also farmers have to get educated about implementing new manures & fertilizers, the traditional way isn't the way forward.

[@cnvramamoorthy8358]

India poor people need rice for survival .

[@Osprey23-o8l]

What is the carbon footprint of eating food from another country? We produce more than enough food locally.

[@jilbertb]

California white rice, Minnesota wild rice.

[@homefrontsai]

before criticisng someone tell us that ...Do america produce BASMATI RICE ? If not then don't expect that south Asian community gonna eat the US variety of rice...

[@Osprey23-o8l]

@@homefrontsai then they starve. When I was young we ate very little that was not grown locally. If it didn’t grow near we didn’t eat it. Did not waste fuel flying food around the world.

[@homefrontsai]

@@Osprey23-o8l yes,you are correct either they have to switch to the wheat based food items or can go for long grained basmati rice,Instead of starving.

[@GeckoHiker]

​@speciallevo3170 Agreed! My family in the US grows and raises much of our food that has grown here in the US successfully for a few thousand years. And we forage. I do grow some crops that aren't native, like garlic, cabbage, broccoli, leeks, millet, barley, and fonio. Chicken, duck, geese, and quail give us plenty of eggs and the occasional roasted bird. But we can live on potatoes, maize, beans, squashes, quinoa, wild edible greens, walnuts, mushrooms, turkey, fish, crawdads, rabbit, venison, snake, and alligator. Then there are a number of native berries, grapes, and paw paws. I process a few pounds of acorn flour and pine bark flour to make flatbreads each year, roast cattail roots, and dig up wild sunchokes, just to keep my skills up. I think that traditional foods get lost too easily in supposedly modern times.

[@shawnkelly695]

Well guess im glad i have 200 pounds of rice

[@GeckoHiker]

Same, nearabouts. We have bout 100 lbs Basmati, 20 lbs Jasmine, 100 lbs plain white American rice, an 40 lbs American brown rice vacuum packed in the freezer. We mostly eat what we grow but rice keeps for decades if stored properly.

[@shawnkelly695]

Dont have to freeze it. I think acually better not to freeze. If kept in air tight container in a cool dark place like closet or pantry it will stay fresh for many years. Flour the same. As well as sugar, pasta, oat meal etc. If kept dry and out of direct sun light it will last many yrs. The vacume sealing and freezing sounds pointless and freezers deteriate quality. If no hydro good luck with a freezer. 5 gallon plastic pail with a sealed lid and in the closet the best. Well glass jars better but need alot cause much smaller.

[@GeckoHiker]

@@shawnkelly695 Brown rice goes rancid within a few months because it contains the germ and oils. It's not meant for our super long-term storage. We eat it regularly but will stop if the price is too high. And we store our dry food pails in our survival cave on the property.

[@ckgarudachar4249]

Thanks, Canada for blaming India again. You have nothing else to do? It is India first. Get used to it and deal with it.

[@EnnuinerDog]

This is a consequence of not doing enough about climate change. It's only going to get worse until we get our act together.

[@mickpeterson3722]

climate change is cover for increased taxation and government control

[@Viewpoint11]

The doom and gloom tone of this documentary was unnecessary.

[@daleval2182]

Omg I eat right 5 times a year , guess I'm good till 2030

[@toddarmstrong1909]

The inefficiencies(highly regulated ag markets not allowing for scale which in turns does not allow full production and lower prices) that the protestors wanted to maintain are ironically affecting negatively the same people who drive around with "We support farmers" bumper stickers. Not total de regulation (which lead to ag oligopolies in many food products like we have here in North America) but some liberation is necessary along with a Futures market ,as one of the posters in this thread wrote does not exist, needs to be established.

[@amjadjaki]

Import from other countries such as Pakistan or other Asian countries

[@ganeshfayake8603]

pakistan😂😂😂😂

[@GeckoHiker]

Pakistan was hopelessly flooded. I believe they are another net food importer.

[@kaycey7361]

😂😂😂😂 lol it's cute.

[@tasneemali5877]

Baasmaaati 😂

[@108Marycelestial]

We got lots of rice in Australia. But it is short grain and not popular. ❤

[@khan.954]

You are just contradicted yourself indirectly 😅

[@gamingtonight1526]

So India produces 22% of the world's rice, but it's not as important as Ukraine producing 10% of the world's grain?!

[@canadaclub8920]

It will get worse, we need to prepare.

[@jilbertb]

You're a little late... The time to start prepping was 5 yrs ago.

[@BythiosBythosBrahma]

My name is Bythios I cook rice 🍚 with tomato bouillon powder and chicken stock.

[@GeckoHiker]

Rice importing countries should help their people go back to growing traditional foods in their area. Then India can keep all of its rice and the rest of us can grow fonio, sorghum, millet, teff, amaranth, quinoa, and heirloom maize. If it doesn't grow naturally in my area I don't eat it. Another huge question I have is what native grains do middle eastern countries grow for themselves? They seem to have to import everything. That is not sustainable.

[@sarveshsinha1530]

rice can't be grown by every country specially in middle east it need too much water to grow. With decrease in rainfall and water shortages many places have to reduce production of rice

[@GeckoHiker]

@@sarveshsinha1530 That's what I said, basically. Rice is not a traditional crop in Africa or the midfle east. Africans should be helped to readopt traditional agricultural practices that allow them to grow native foods, like fonio, sorghum, and millet. I live in the US and grow mostly native American plants, like heirloom maize and a huge variety of heirloom beans.

[@sarveshsinha1530]

@@GeckoHiker true one thing nature did is most nutrients we need are found in local grown crops based on our environment.

[@kalyanis4918]

​@@sarveshsinha1530and good for the environment too as no transport over long distance.

[@westtxmutt]

This must be dirty rice in the picture

[@Healthy-social]

Canada govt and media sounds such vulnerable and depending on export from India!! Talk about what canada govt will do for public so that rice prices not skyrocketing! Any plans trudo has?

[@nps7742]

Canada (wealthy countries )don't have any shortages they try to oversmart by buying poor countries share with higher prices for their stock pile and increase the price that eventually start impacting Indian market so india banned it.

[@abhijeetchatterjee1869]

Support more Khalistani goons Canada that will help in food inflation.

[@homefrontsai]

south asians cant able to eat breads and meat only for whole years .The ppl of the cold countries can do that but not the ppl who migrated to those countries can.

[@davidtucker3538]

global trade at its core, breaking down

[@yte549]

😂😂😂😂😂 you are genius economist.... Don't show your brain

[@roxymax8917]

Hey Americans, you're declining. Why is it so hard to accept that ? 😅

[@bobinch4835]

The whole world is declining. Have fun🎉

[@voidxsubzero]

Due To Climate Change This Year Going To Be Very Hard For Rice Production That's Why India Banned Rice

[@SurinderGill-c6b]

eat Roti. Wheat is better than rice.

[@randommedia3441]

It already had a shortage, Russia and Ukraine are the biggest exporters

[@matthewgonano636]

Wheat and rice are inherently slave foods. They are to keep the population dumbed down and docile and infertile

[@randommedia3441]

@BabuNet what third biggest?

[@randommedia3441]

@BabuNet so what we had that much population for its consumption.... Almost entire north and central indians major diet is wheat products...

[@randommedia3441]

@BabuNet ya i know but if the export continued we will do the same mistake what we done in 2006( i didn't remember the exact year) where we export too much, and then we import it back with higher price...

[@joetran8798]

I hope our government will remember this while redeveloping our bioscience industry. India could selfishly do this to other countries for more than just rice. We need to become more self sufficient in more areas.

[@ach615]

Just like India was denied raw materials for vaccines during covid by USA.?

[@JUPITER69966]

Meanwhile usa stopped shipments and banned raw materials for covid vaccine to provide for it own population. That is selfish act. We remember that.

[@bhagat147]

😂😂

[@KarmaMyAss]

These people are fraud. When Indian government was giving subsidies to farmers in India to increase production of rice, wheat, sugar, etc. then western countries like US and countries like Japan went to WTO in order to stop Indian government from giving subsidies. I am feeling so happy right now. As you sow, so shall you reap. This proverb is best suited for this situation. Being an Indian, we fully support our government. We chose them to first cater to our need before helping others. At the same time, I am feeling so sorry for the Indians living in US or Europe that they also have to face the problem. But we can’t do anything. Climate is the king.

[@matthewhartley8756]

You have a we get a rice from america america