Rice production
May. 23rd, 2008 by Al 
Rice price seems to move up this recent months causing some households here to stock up prompted thailand to assure that there’s enough rice for all to ensure price stability.Indeed with rice as the food staple across Asia, rice production has become the talk of the town lately when Thai PM suggested a rice cartel to be formed with her neighbouring countries.
Nothing concrete came out of that but the mindset to move towards a similar structure like opec with oil does raise some concerns.Fears of a small group will control the rice prices dictating the fate of billions of rice eaters will set off a series of fierce debates in the near future.
Thailand seems to think the low rice exports and expenisve oil imports is unfair to her and upset her trade balances and in a way the rice cartel will offset the imbalances.But there are serious issues on the table before any real talk of a rice cartel being form.
First, thailand must have the co operation of the countries which to form the cartel and also top importers of rice like china and japan. Both are big players not only in asia region but also the international stage of world trade.
Even if the external influences is solved, she must be able to control the supplies of her domestic output of rice farming which is not really possible in the forseeable future.With all the problems yet not overcome, rice production and prices will be open for business as usual.Politics aside, the filling of the stomach of the world populace comes first for better or for worse .
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