Rice plans plucked, from the sky

Manna from Heaven?

Manna (sometimes or archaically spelt mana), (Hebrew language מָ‏ן) is the name of a food which, according to the Scriptures, was eaten by the Isrealites during their travels in the desert; until they reached Canaan, the Israelites according to some passages in the Bible ate only manna during their desert sojourn.

The Government has come up with plans to increase the country’s rice production to meet a possible shortage as world demand appears to be outstripping current supply and net rice exporting countries cut back on exports, prompting prices to rise.

The Minister for Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, Mustapa Mohamed said, on the 24^th April 2008, the ministry had identified short, medium and long-term plans which would be announced later.

Is Rice in Crisis!

Pray tell us, what these plans are? Knee jerk reactions are unhelpful.

Making such a sweeping statement is tantamount to saying nothing at all!

Better to keep silent if you have nothing concrete to say.

“The ministry has also set up a Food Production Permanent Park in every state to counter food problems,” he said in Kuala Lumpur also on the 24^th April 2008.

Here he goes again, empty talk, does anyone know what a ‘Food Production Permanent Park” is?

Perhaps it is some futuristic food production enterprise which can magically manufacture all our food needs effortlessly.

Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur

-What is asserted without reason may be denied without reason

The dwindling rice bowl of Malaysia

PM says: We’ll produce more rice

Malaysia's PM says efforts will be made to increase rice production in the country to meet a possible rice shortage in the future.

PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stated Malaysia’s current policy was to produce 65% of its rice needs and import the remainder.

“However, if other countries don’t want to sell rice to us, it will have a negative effect on our people.”

“As such, the government will try to increase rice production in the country so that we can meet 100% of our demand. We want to ensure that we have food security,” he told a press conference in Kuching after meeting Sarawak’s BN elected representatives and component party leaders on Friday 4^th April 2008.

I wonder how many percent of the rice consumed in Malaysia is being imported, I hazard a guess it is at least 50%, (in the shops one can see rice imported from Thailand, Pakistan, India, Cambodia, Austraia, the USA, Japan, Italy and elsewhere) does anyone know?

Sarawak CM Abdul Taib Mahmud had evidently brought up the issue of the possibility of a future shortage of rice. He also asked for federal government funding and assistance to set up large-scale rice padi estates in Sarawak.

Meanwhile in many parts of Peninsular Malaysia, rice is no longer grown.

Even in the rice bowls of Malaysia Kedah and Perlis, rice cultivation is declining due to development projects which occupy, and therefore destroy prime agricultural land formerly used for the cultivation of rice.

More such projects are in the pipeline, and these threaten to further reduce rice production, since many acres of paddy fields will be destroyed.

Abdullah is, it seems, just talking the talk, certainly rice self sufficiency is vital for Malaysia, but urgent affirmative and effective action is required to achieve this essential goal.

Non semper erit aestas

- It will not always be summer (be prepared for hard times)