Why is there a rice shortage?

This seems ludicrous, to me. The economy is in a tail spin, and now, apparently, we're short on rice? (No, not Condolezza, the stuff you eat).

Why is there a rice shortage, anybody know?

Well one huge reason is drought.

A second reason is that major rice-producing countries like India, Brazil and Egypt are capping their rice exports to ensure that there's enough rice domestically.

It's going to really cause countries like Libya and Haiti to go into turmoil, with even more poverty than now, and more riots.

On a somewhat unrelated note, the next thing we will be short on is corn, if we start using it for energy.

Oh and secondly, I don't think we could EVER be too short on Condoleeza.

Ok I'm sorry, but people are starving in Africa and the media's going on about a rice shortage here? They're capping it at 4 bags per customer? That's not a shortage!
(who buys 4 bags of 50 pounds of rice anyways?)

It's not eally anything too big to worry about. The media like to make everything bigger than it is just to get more viewers. I agree w/ ty we should be helping BIGGER issues than thinking we all need as much as we can get and be thankful that we're not having to live like other countries and starve.We should also I think help other countries? Wouldn't this make everyone tolerate each other more and have respect?

Well it came out today the head of public health says there really is no shortage. I guess it could either be Sam's and Cosco may not be getting as much of a supply? Maybe they know something like global warming is going to cause a drastic supply change? China doesn't want to help them anymore? Who knows. I only need a small bag of rice once in a while so I wont be hurting anytime soon and I don't shop from them anymore anyway.
LOL
Mama K

Actually as you can see in the news there's a shortage in a lot of kinds of food not only rice, so the countries that produce and export rice (as my country Egypt) reduced the amount of rice they export to use it locally.

The news told me there isn't actually a rice shortage at all, people just thought/think there was/is and therefor went to buy a ton of it for some reason or something. And who really cares, it's rice.

thanks for the answer editor. I saw that on the news ticker and missed the cause. I did think that it must have something to do withthe drought. thanks again.

From what I understand, Sam's club and I believe Costco are putting a limit on the amount of rice you can buy because they think people are stockpiling it to keep from having to pay higher prices in the future. In short, they are doing their best to maximize their profits at the cost of the consumer. There is no shortage, just greedy corporations.

Like other people before me said , countries like Brazil and India which grow rice are limiting their exportation to make sure that there is enough rice domestically for their own citizens .

Its not so much that we as consumers can only purchase 4 bags as Sams Club and Costco's mentioned about their limit...its more for the restaurant industry.

I think our president has a lot to do with all the turmoil going on. (Just an opinion)

well, not sure why there would be a rice shortage in America as I know nothing about your country! However, what has been mention on the news in nz recently is the rising price of grain in developing countries due to the production of biofuel. They showed footage of people in these countries basically eating mudcakes with next to no actual nutritional value because they couldnt afford food. It was absolutely disgusting to see these people suffering because the developed world wants fuel to run cars etc.

As far as I know, nz is not having any problems with rice, but whats with the crazily rising prices of dairy?!?!?!