There is a very bad impending rice shortage that is preparing to strike rice importing countries in Asia. This could be very bad and it is not something that has come out of the blue. This is a crisis that has been brewing for several years as land previously devoted to rice production in rice exporting countries has been put to other uses.
This means that rice production growth in the main exporting countries has leveled off and rice exports have started to fall. This means that countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are having a very tough time finding adequate rice on the world market.
Prices in the Philippines have already spike by more than 30 to 50% at the retail level and further price increases are in the offing with an actual shortage predicted in the fall. This isn’t a one time problem, but rather this is looking to be a yearly problem with no end in site.
And this could very well turn into a political issue.