Panic.
Scream.
This is not a drill. The world really is running out of rice.
So here’s the problem. 60% of all the rice the world eats comes from Asia.
But currently, the climate is not in good terms with rice. The latest rice shortage is due to the El Nino system. In English, this is when the the water and winds are weirder than usual.
The grain stocks are forecast to plummet like the naira, to around 19 million tons by the end of this year. In 2013, the stocks were 43 million tons high.
It means since the supply is lesser and the demand is still high, the prices will go like this.
You know what that means for as a Nigerians, as people, it means no more Party Jollof.
Photos like these will be found only in museums.
What stories shall we tell our children? Where will we find happiness and communion in the future? Is this a secret plan by Amala to take over the world?
But there’s a way to avert this disaster.
The Federal Government is saying they are taking action. Research suggests that Nigeria consumes an estimated 5.3 million metric tons of milled rice annually. Because the local supply cannot meet demand, we need to import around 2 million metric tons. This makes us the second largest importer of rice worldwide.
But the new Minister for Agriculture is not playing.
He says they are taking steps for us to become completely self-sufficient by the end of this year. And who knows, by next year, we can start exporting and saving the world, one bag of rice at a time.
Fellow Nigerians, it is time to take action and secure the happiness of our children. We must rise up and demand that the government make it happen, by any means necessary.
Comments
