Rice "shortage" in your area?

[Little-Acorn]

My wife is Chinese, and we go through a 50# bag of rice every six months or so. Rumors started flaying last week about a "shortage". Seems there are food riots in some countries, not because they're short of rice, but because the price went up, and people there are so poor they can't buy it any more. A grim business.

But that rumor flew over here, and evidently people freaked. Suddenly all the shelves at Costco, Sam's Club, etc. are bare. People who normally buy one or two bags a year, have now bought ten in the last few days. Thousands are doing it. Naturally, this has cleaned out every store, even though they get in plenty enough rice to supply the "normal" demand, and don't foresee any reduction in shipments in the future. Countries which export rice are exporting less, since their own populations are growing and in many instances getting more prosperous (they used to be dirt poor, now they're just poor), and so can eat more.

Lots of rice is grown in the U.S., on both coasts. Some say that more and more farm land is being converted over to grow grain for ethanol fuel, which they say is making the problem worse. But I don't have any hard numbers on that.

Is the U.S. rice "shortage" a fact? Or merely a self-fulfilling prophecy?

[Yurt]

from what i have seen, it is not a reality....yet. rice is on sale at many stores in SLO.

[MtnBiker]

It is my belief that it wasn't just average people buying several bags of rice but rather Oriental restuarant owners buying huge amounts of rice. I know that Oriental retuarant owners will buy in bulk for some of their commidity items, ie.... lard, rice, chicken thigh and chicken breast. And it was this buying that wiped out the inventory at the Sam's Clubs and the Costcos.

[Little-Acorn]

from what i have seen, it is not a reality....yet. rice is on sale at many stores in SLO.

Yurt, today?

I checked the local Costco here last Thursday, they had plenty of 50# bags. Checked again Saturday, shelves were bare, and have stayed that way since.

Which stores?

[Yurt]

Yurt, today?

I checked the local Costco here last Thursday, they had plenty of 50# bags. Checked again Saturday, shelves were bare, and have stayed that way since.

Which stores?

yesterday, food for less, albertsons, food for less was right when you come in the door

[hjmick]

We have plenty of rice in my area, but we're short on Chinese. :D

Truthfully, I haven't really been paying attention. I don't buy grain in bulk and have yet to have a problem buying rice. My Mrs. is a potato gal. I guess that means I'd notice a french fry or vodka shortage.

I can't help but feel as if the situation is part reality and part self-fulfilling prophecy. I read last week that some rice producing countries are cutting way back on their exports, the article mention Brazil specifically.

[mundame]

Hmmmmmmm.......................

Maybe I'll go to BJs at lunch and get my bag of rice.....

There's only two of us so 25 lbs. ought to be enough. http://macg.net/emoticons/laughing4.gif

[Trigg]

We have plenty of rice in my area, but we're short on Chinese. :D




Ditto :laugh2:

[Gaffer]

we have a half empty one lb bag of rice in the cupboard. It's been there since at least year. Maybe I should hoard it away and wait for the price to peak. Does this mean an increase in the cost of rice crispys?

[Little-Acorn]

Does this mean an increase in the cost of rice crispys?

It's worse than that. Now they only go Snap, Crackle. :eek:

[Kathianne]

we have a half empty one lb bag of rice in the cupboard. It's been there since at least year. Maybe I should hoard it away and wait for the price to peak. Does this mean an increase in the cost of rice crispys?

You could sell it on E-Bay! :laugh2:

[glockmail]

We bought a 20# bag one time and we had it so long we had to move it once along with our furniture!

[Kathianne]

We bought a 20# bag one time and we had it so long we had to move it once along with our furniture!

We eat rice probably 3 times a week, with that said, a 20# bag would bring in pests I wouldn't want to deal with. We couldn't get rid of the rice quickly enough.

[mundame]

We eat rice probably 3 times a week, with that said, a 20# bag would bring in pests I wouldn't want to deal with. We couldn't get rid of the rice quickly enough.

The secret: store all grain goods (flour, corn starch, rice, etc.) in the freezer. I've been doing that since.....1988, and a really bad flour moth invasion. It works.

[glockmail]

We eat rice probably 3 times a week, with that said, a 20# bag would bring in pests I wouldn't want to deal with. We couldn't get rid of the rice quickly enough.

Amazingly, we never had a problem with that and rice. One time we had small bugs going after flour and stuff, so now we put that in plastic bags.


The secret: store all grain goods (flour, corn starch, rice, etc.) in the freezer. I've been doing that since.....1988, and a really bad flour moth invasion. It works. Well we did live in Syracuse at the time, which is a freezer itself about 5 months of the year.:laugh2: