-As India bans the exportation of rice.
By: G. Bennie Bravo Johnson I
Following the bend placed on the exportation of rice by the Indian government, presidential hopeful Mr. Simeon Freeman has warned the government and people of Liberia of a serious looming rice crisis due to the ban the world’s biggest exporters, the Indian government placed on the exportation of rice.
According to Mr. Freeman, Liberia is expected to undergo serious rice shortage and food insecurity due to Indian refusal to export rice due to some global factors.
Speaking Monday, August 7, in a major State of the Nation Address on Prime FM and relate to several media institutions across the country, the opposition politician disclosed that India is the biggest importer of rice in the world and it’s Liberia’s biggest partner in terms of rice importation.
“I am not President but my greatest worry today is whether we are going to find rice going forward, especially in December. India has banned the exportation of rice. Indian did that about two weeks ago and you know what that means for Liberia. Currently, India is the biggest exporter of rice in the world” Mr. Freeman noted.
The top 5 rice exporting countries in the world include India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, and the United States of America which generated approaching three-quarters (72.8%) of the global value for rice exports during 2022.
India: US$10.8 billion (36.8% of total rice exports), Thailand: $4 billion (13.5%), Vietnam: $2.5 billion (8.6%), and Pakistan: $2.4 billion (8%).
Others include the United States: $1.7 billion (5.8%), China: $1 billion (3.5%), Italy: $804.7 million (2.7%), Myanmar: $786.8 million (2.7%), Brazil: $657.5 million (2.2%).
While Belgium: $515.6 million (1.8%), Uruguay: $498 million (1.7%), Cambodia: $416 million (1.4%), Netherlands: $385 million (1.3%), Paraguay: $293.4 million (1%), Spain: $238 million (0.8%).
By value, the above 15 countries were responsible for 92% of globally exported rice in 2022.
He further indicated that the Indian government had banned the exportation of rice due to the war that is currently ongoing between Ukraine and Russia.
Also, he said that the Indian government pointed out that their reason to ban the exportation of rice is due to the climatic condition therefore, they are keeping their rice, sugar, and other agricultural products to themselves until that crisis can be handled.
However, Mr. Freeman suggested that for Liberia to prevent this looming rice crisis, the country should prioritize and invest in agriculture.
“We should now learn from this and invest in agriculture because we are doomed to a serious crisis. We have killed President in this country because of rice and so this government needs to be careful and find means to handle this looming rice crisis. What I want to do in my administration is to integrate opportunities for Liberians to prevent urban migration” he stated.
Mr. Freeman describes Liberia as a manufacturer of poverty, adding that every after six years Liberia makes foreign rice while the people are poor because there is no opportunity for Liberians.
