By : JOHAN JAAFFAR
A global shortage of rice has led to riots and a steep rise in prices. |
THERE is a lyric in a popular folk song from Pahang, Setitik darah jatuh ke darat, semusim padi tak menjadi. It tells a story of great warriors of yore who were blessed with supernatural powers to subdue their nemesis.
The power was simply too potent, a drop of their blood could render a season of failed harvest. The warning is, no harvest means no rice.
The world of the Malays centre around rice -- beras. Their worldview is determined by it. Padi the grain and beras the food are used as symbol, metaphor and reference to almost everything. Malay pantun, peribahasa and folk songs refer to padi and beras respectfully. To their leaders and wise men, a peribahasa reminds them to emulate the rice stalk, ikut resmi padi, semakin tunduk semakin berisi. The plant bows with the weight of the bulging rice grains. Lots of humility to be learnt there.
And now the simple padi is causing misery to millions of humans.
Cyclone Nargis or not, the Myanmar people have been ravaged by the threat of a diminishing rice supply. In many poor Asian nations, the possibility of political and social instability looms large as rice disappears.
Riots are happening. Had Myanmar not been under a military junta, Nargis could have created enough turmoil to threaten the ruling elite. Rice after all is the staple food of billions of Asians.
I was horrified to find that my favourite rice variety is now retailing at RM39 for a 10kg pack.
It was just RM26 not long ago. The cheapest rice on sale is RM19.90 at a hypermarket. That is almost RM2 a kilo. I did the right thing, I changed to a different brand.
Malaysians have to change not only the brand of rice they buy, but adjust their consumption.
For the time being they will have to forego taste, smell and starchiness -- the three determining factors to evaluate the quality of the grain.
Forget the advice of rice connoisseurs and taxonomists -- those who can name, classify and grade rice -- for now.
What is important is to make sure there is rice on the dinner table.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for most people to ensure that happens.
The price of rice is escalating beyond anyone's imagination. Despite assurances by the authorities, market forces are at work.
Grain is fast becoming the white gold of the 21st century. Considering the world's stock of grain has fallen to hardly 45 days of consumption, the lowest in recent memory, we are in for trouble.
Malaysia, we were told, has enough stocks of rice to last six months, which is not at all comforting.
It is easy for politicians to advise the rakyat to be thrifty, eat at home, grow your own vegetables, change your lifestyle, change your eating habits, eat less outside, cut rice consumption, and the list goes on.
Such knee-jerk reactions irk thousands of food operators all over the country. They rely on people eating out.
They make their living from government and private sector workers and ordinary folks eating at their warung and shops. Livelihoods are centred around small businesses catering for the needs of the lower income group.
Okay, there are people who wouldn't mind paying RM45 for a nasi lemak at a posh hotel or spending RM80++ a head for a buffet. But millions have to visit Warung Rus, Jalil, Ah Chai Ipoh Chicken Rice and Rama Tosai joint.
These are the true-blue businessmen who do not have the benefit of good connections nor bestowed with lucrative contracts. They have to earn a living.
It is better for politicians to help sort out the mess, which they helped create in the first place.
If only we had been more prudent in our development plans. We are so enamoured with all things massive and mega, we almost forget that people have to eat. And agriculture is the backbone of any civilisation, not to mention successful economies.
We are still groping in the dark in so far as our agricultural policies are concerned. We have some ideas, but that's about it.
Those lofty and grand-sounding pronouncements are never supported by a holistic strategy and workable solutions. The prime minister wanted to rejuvenate the agriculture sector. But he was alone.
The support system is not there to help him materialise his ambitions. The real farmers on the ground are left without research and development support and, worst, very few financial incentives.
Even the much-talked-about Fund For Food (3F) is not readily available to farmers.
Financing in food-related agriculture is the most difficult to get.
Some segments of the agriculture sector are unrealistically regulated, others are left alone.
Some sectors are heavily subsidised, others ignored. Very few dare to venture into food production these days for obvious reasons.
The promise of billions to open new padi fields raised eyebrows for a very simple reason. Good intentions alone don't work in agriculture. More often than not, funds are meant for the chosen, not the needy.
The prime minister must seriously evaluate agriculture not by a panel of consultants who have never toiled in the fields, but those who have endured unsympathetic bankers and irrational agriculture officers breathing over their necks.
He must set up a truly independent panel of advisers to look at food production requirements.Too many people and institutions have failed him on the agriculture front.
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mentioned the need to look at agriculture from a different angle.
On the ground, however, nothing much has changed. Little wonder we are saddled with a staggering RM12 billion worth of food imports a year.
There is a danger of rice scarcity in the near future. It sounds scary, but that is the truth. Do something please, and fast.
The world of the Malays centre around rice -- beras. Their worldview is determined by it. Padi the grain and beras the food are used as symbol, metaphor and reference to almost everything. Malay pantun, peribahasa and folk songs refer to padi and beras respectfully. To their leaders and wise men, a peribahasa reminds them to emulate the rice stalk, ikut resmi padi, semakin tunduk semakin berisi. The plant bows with the weight of the bulging rice grains. Lots of humility to be learnt there.
And now the simple padi is causing misery to millions of humans.
Cyclone Nargis or not, the Myanmar people have been ravaged by the threat of a diminishing rice supply. In many poor Asian nations, the possibility of political and social instability looms large as rice disappears.
I was horrified to find that my favourite rice variety is now retailing at RM39 for a 10kg pack.
It was just RM26 not long ago. The cheapest rice on sale is RM19.90 at a hypermarket. That is almost RM2 a kilo. I did the right thing, I changed to a different brand.
Malaysians have to change not only the brand of rice they buy, but adjust their consumption.
For the time being they will have to forego taste, smell and starchiness -- the three determining factors to evaluate the quality of the grain.
Forget the advice of rice connoisseurs and taxonomists -- those who can name, classify and grade rice -- for now.
What is important is to make sure there is rice on the dinner table.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for most people to ensure that happens.
The price of rice is escalating beyond anyone's imagination. Despite assurances by the authorities, market forces are at work.
Grain is fast becoming the white gold of the 21st century. Considering the world's stock of grain has fallen to hardly 45 days of consumption, the lowest in recent memory, we are in for trouble.
Malaysia, we were told, has enough stocks of rice to last six months, which is not at all comforting.
It is easy for politicians to advise the rakyat to be thrifty, eat at home, grow your own vegetables, change your lifestyle, change your eating habits, eat less outside, cut rice consumption, and the list goes on.
Such knee-jerk reactions irk thousands of food operators all over the country. They rely on people eating out.
They make their living from government and private sector workers and ordinary folks eating at their warung and shops. Livelihoods are centred around small businesses catering for the needs of the lower income group.
Okay, there are people who wouldn't mind paying RM45 for a nasi lemak at a posh hotel or spending RM80++ a head for a buffet. But millions have to visit Warung Rus, Jalil, Ah Chai Ipoh Chicken Rice and Rama Tosai joint.
These are the true-blue businessmen who do not have the benefit of good connections nor bestowed with lucrative contracts. They have to earn a living.
It is better for politicians to help sort out the mess, which they helped create in the first place.
If only we had been more prudent in our development plans. We are so enamoured with all things massive and mega, we almost forget that people have to eat. And agriculture is the backbone of any civilisation, not to mention successful economies.
We are still groping in the dark in so far as our agricultural policies are concerned. We have some ideas, but that's about it.
Those lofty and grand-sounding pronouncements are never supported by a holistic strategy and workable solutions. The prime minister wanted to rejuvenate the agriculture sector. But he was alone.
The support system is not there to help him materialise his ambitions. The real farmers on the ground are left without research and development support and, worst, very few financial incentives.
Even the much-talked-about Fund For Food (3F) is not readily available to farmers.
Financing in food-related agriculture is the most difficult to get.
Some segments of the agriculture sector are unrealistically regulated, others are left alone.
Some sectors are heavily subsidised, others ignored. Very few dare to venture into food production these days for obvious reasons.
The promise of billions to open new padi fields raised eyebrows for a very simple reason. Good intentions alone don't work in agriculture. More often than not, funds are meant for the chosen, not the needy.
The prime minister must seriously evaluate agriculture not by a panel of consultants who have never toiled in the fields, but those who have endured unsympathetic bankers and irrational agriculture officers breathing over their necks.
He must set up a truly independent panel of advisers to look at food production requirements.Too many people and institutions have failed him on the agriculture front.
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mentioned the need to look at agriculture from a different angle.
On the ground, however, nothing much has changed. Little wonder we are saddled with a staggering RM12 billion worth of food imports a year.
There is a danger of rice scarcity in the near future. It sounds scary, but that is the truth. Do something please, and fast.
