"...And, there will be food shortages..." Matthew 24:7
While these shortage are actually
"...And, there will be food shortages..." Matthew 24:7
While these shortage are actually not real, but are being created for greed and control of the people, that doesn't matter. What matters is whether food is available and/or the people can afford to buy it.
Global food prices have risen dramatically, adding a new level of danger to the crisis of world hunger and starvation.
In diverse places, such as Haiti and Peru, prices are sky-rocketing causing hardship and fear.
In Africa, food riots have swept across the continent with recent protests in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mauritania and Senegal.
In most of West Africa the price of food has risen by 50 percent. In some countries such as Sierra Leone, they have risen 300 percent!
Countries have begun banning the export of rice, including Egypt, out of concern for their own people's need.
Adding to this, the entire rice production in one region of Australia has completely shut down due to drought. The water instead is being used to grow luxury crops, such as grapes for wine. This region just recently use to produce enough rice to feed 20 million people per day.
Even in the United States there has been a 40 percent surge in prices for wheat, corn, rice and other cereals over the past six months. Also other food stuffs, such as cooking oil, have risen dramatically as well.
While some assume that all Americans are well off; this simply isn't so. Many are struggling to feed themselves and their children.
In truth, one billion people on this planet are suffering from various degrees of outright starvation, to severe malnutrition. Another billion are suffering from severe financial hardship that, with these rapidly rising food prices, is quickly endangering their well being. The two groups together make up one third of the Earth's population.
It is true that some still live in luxury. However, that is exactly what was foretold in the Bible. While many would struggle to obtain just a loaf of bread (or equivalent food stuffs) each day...luxuries for the rich would not be harmed.
"A days wages for a loaf of bread...but do not harm the olive oil or the wine."
Revelation 6:6
May our Great God help us.
For more information, Google:
Rice Shortage, Food Shortage, World Food Crisis, Rice Shortage Australia,
Food Shortage Africa, Food Export Bans
Economic Collapse
Peace to all of you,
Sister Becca
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Added: 3 months ago
Views: 4,481
ANCHOR:
The queue in Bangladesh's government-run rice outlets is growing longer with ever
ANCHOR:
The queue in Bangladesh's government-run rice outlets is growing longer with every passing day as citizens of the impoverished country struggle to cope with soaring prices.
STORY:
The Bangladesh government has set up around 2,500 retail outlets across the country to sell rice and some other essential commodities to ease the economic burden of the country's poor.
People queue up from dawn to midday to buy 5 kilogrammes of rice per head from the outlets.
[Rina Begum, a 45-year old woman]:
"Since this morning, we have been in queue but still have not got any rice - I have been in line since 6 am and its now 11am and I still have not got any rice."
Many had to go home empty handed as supply ran out.
Rice and other commodities in these outlets are almost 30 percent cheaper than the market rate.
Officials and experts blame the rise on increasing prices in global markets and a series of floods and cyclones that struck the South Asian country last year.
[Lieutenant Colonel Asif Abdur Rouf, BDR Official]:
"Due to the price hike of rice all over the world, the price of rice in Bangladesh has also gone high, we are running about 50 retail outlets in Dhaka city and in other cities also so that we can sell rice to the poor people at government fixed rates."
The crisis is expected to remain until the harvesting season of Boro, the summer variety of rice, which is about a month away.
[Sona Miah, Rice-Mill Manager]:
"We produce rice from about 4 tones of paddy everyday in our mill.
With the current stock, we can continue the production for only five more days. After that we have to shut down the mill."
Bangladesh says it expects to harvest about 17.5 million tonnes of Boro by next month to ease the shortage.
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Added: 3 months ago
Views: 2,927
KEAN:
The image of troops at rice distribution centers is fast
becoming a regular sight
KEAN:
The image of troops at rice distribution centers is fast
becoming a regular sight in Asia. Many countries including the Philippines are struggling with soaring prices. Here's more.
STORY:
In the Philippines, where rice is a national staple, prices have jumped up to thirty percent from a year ago.
The Southeast Asian nation, consumes about 33,000 tonnes of rice a day. One of the world's biggest importers, the Philippines is grappling with tight
supplies and soaring global prices.
To help consumers, the National Food Authority sells cheaper types of rice.
Each person can buy a maximum of four kilos.
Military soldiers have escorted trucks selling rice in slum areas, to
guard against mobs. So far there is no tension.
Analysts and governments fear social unrest if prices continue to rise.
Jose Alba, a taxi driver, has lined up twice in one day for the cheaper rice. He says he will mix the cheaper
variety with the expensive one so he can save some money.
[Jose Alba, Taxi Driver]:
"We're looking for the cheap rice. With rice and other food items
so expensive nowadays, what we ordinary people earn is just not enough."
Beth Caballero a mother of two, says she is concerned her children may have to eat less.
[Beth Caballero, Mother]:
"It's hard to scrimp on the children. It's okay if my husband and
I eat less, but not them. They're still young, they have to eat
properly."
The International Rice Research
Institute, says more people and less
production have led to the tightening of food supplies.
[Robert Zeigler, Director General Int. Rice Institute]:
"We've seen that the best area of agricultural lands for rice
growing have moved out of production into such things as urbanisation,
creation of shopping malls, golf courses even. So that's been pulling the best
land out of production and as a consequence, several years ago, we saw rice
stocks falling."
The U.N. World Food Programme says the high price is meaning is less getting to the poor in Asia.
[John Powell, U.N. World Food Programme]:
"The immediate challenge is how to provide the food to the
existing people who should be receiving that kind of assistance. In WFP's
(World Food Programme) case, we have programmes in Asia that seek to reach 28
million people in 14 countries. Our prices have risen, costs have risen by 55%
in the last 7 or 8 months. That simply means the dollar, the euro or the yen
purchases less food so the WFP needs to raise dramatically more funds if we
are to reach those who need the assistance now."
The World Bank has called on governments to take short-term steps to protect the poor.
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Added: 3 months ago
Views: 3,786
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