BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
ONE OF the most pressing issues surrounding food security in the region is the rising price of rice an issue that has reached the stage of a global crisis. However, judging from local media reports, local supermarkets are apparently unperturbed by the issue, saying that they do not foresee problems with domestic rice supplies and prices.
The general feeling amongst retailers in the sultanate is that the government is capable of meeting domestic demands.
But how long will it be until we feel the pinch that our neighbours are already feeling? Malaysia and Indonesia, for instance, are facing the adverse effects of the commodity's tightening global supplies.
A minister said on Monday in Kuala Lumpur that Malaysia is considering blocking the movement of rice across its borders to ensure supply of the subsidised commodity and to keep prices low.
The aim of the ban was to ensure there was sufficient rice supply in the country and to prevent prices from spiking, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Abdul Samad.
The announcement was made just days after Asean trade ministers reached an agreement to work together to cope with rising prices of rice and other food products. During a meeting between Asean countries and its trade partners in Indonesia late last week, Indonesian Trade Minister Marie Elka Pangestu said the ministers had agreed to continue exports provided domestic needs were being met.
As governments, notably in Asia, are trying out every technique possible to shield their populations from the risk of millions of hungry people on their doorstep, things are looking tougher ahead for consuming countries which have to pay higher and higher prices. Asian rice prices have almost trebled this year.
Countries including India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil have imposed curbs on food exports in a bid to secure domestic supplies and limit inflation. Last week Thailand said it had agreed in principle to form a rice price-fixing cartel similar to the oil industry's OPEC with neighbours Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar as well as Vietnam.
This development should be of great concern to the sultanate's decision and policy makers, as locally-produced rice accounted for only 3.15 per cent of the 31,242 metric tonnes consumed by the population last year. It was a godsend for Brunei and many other countries when Thailand, the sultanate's biggest supplier of rice, announced a surplus in rice production and that it will not stop exports.
According to data from the Agribusiness Development Division of the Agriculture Department, locally-produced rice is expected to corner 10 per cent of the local market by 2013. Citing better drainage and irrigation systems, an official from the department said it is expecting rice production to increase by 7.1 per cent by the harvest year of 2012/2013.
This statement may prove to offer relief, but even then, in this globalised world, sooner or later the sultanate will be affected by the crisis.
So what stance can the average Bruneian take on this issue? Should they be on their guard? Is there a need to change eating habits? If the country wants its people to be prepared for any eventualities, including the possibility of shortage, the first thing that must be ensured is awareness on the country's preparedness.
Should there be any possible shortage of rice in Brunei in the near future, this agency will be the one to help you prepare for it. (HHM1)
The Brunei Times
Reference:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/home_news/2008/05/07/how_long_till_brunei_feels_pinch_from_rice_shortage
Reflective essay:
The article highlights the issue of food security which has become a great concern in the region with the sharply rising price of rice that has reached the stage of a global crisis mainly caused by the growing demand, poor weather and rising cost of petroleum. With the reducing global supplies of rice, governments, especially in Asia, are trying out every possible way to protect their people from the risk and danger of food shortage, secure domestic supplies and limit inflation. However, despite our neighbouring countries are facing the adverse effects of the drop in rice production, our local society are still not concerned about this issue. Bruneians still have not feel the impact of the crisis mainly because price of rice in the country has remained unchanged due to increasing subsidies by the government.
Rice is the staple food for our country of which more than 95 percent of it is imported from other countries, mainly from Thailand. Eventhough there has been no incidences of food shortage in this country, the society should be aware that the world is now facing global warming. Flood, drought and other natural disasters can occur anytime and will destroy the crop across a wide region, leading to a shortfall of supply. What would happen to us if suddenly natural disasters occur to the rice-exporting countries and they decided to stop their exports? Surely, Bruneians cannot imagine not having rice with their meals and should there occur the shortage of rice, it will surely create havoc in our country as well as in other countries consuming this grain. It is worrying that the agriculture output in our country can only fulfil 3.12 percent of our needs, and still we are not making any efforts to increase our rice production
This growing world problem has caught the attention of the monarch by which His Majesty highlighted the issue a couple of times in his titah, warned about the decline of agriculture output and emphasized that Brunei as a nation needs to increase food production and make food security a priority. In my opinion, it is no doubt that a meltdown of food security will threaten political, economical and social stability of a country. It is time for the government and the citizens to work together in an effort towards improving our agriculture industry, aim at food self-sufficiency and prepare ourselves for any eventualities including the possibility of shortage.
Rice is the staple food for our country of which more than 95 percent of it is imported from other countries, mainly from Thailand. Eventhough there has been no incidences of food shortage in this country, the society should be aware that the world is now facing global warming. Flood, drought and other natural disasters can occur anytime and will destroy the crop across a wide region, leading to a shortfall of supply. What would happen to us if suddenly natural disasters occur to the rice-exporting countries and they decided to stop their exports? Surely, Bruneians cannot imagine not having rice with their meals and should there occur the shortage of rice, it will surely create havoc in our country as well as in other countries consuming this grain. It is worrying that the agriculture output in our country can only fulfil 3.12 percent of our needs, and still we are not making any efforts to increase our rice production
This growing world problem has caught the attention of the monarch by which His Majesty highlighted the issue a couple of times in his titah, warned about the decline of agriculture output and emphasized that Brunei as a nation needs to increase food production and make food security a priority. In my opinion, it is no doubt that a meltdown of food security will threaten political, economical and social stability of a country. It is time for the government and the citizens to work together in an effort towards improving our agriculture industry, aim at food self-sufficiency and prepare ourselves for any eventualities including the possibility of shortage.
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