More food shortage rumors...

[Equanimity]

This is an email I received from my mom, who received it from a friend. Take it as you will (please do not repost to other forums)


Since I was not there on Sunday I do not know how much of this has been talked about, but there is currently a rice shortage and possibly a wheat shortage coming. My husband (who works in the imort/export business) told me that most countries who produce rice had a bad crop this last year and will not be exporting any rice. We do not produce rice here in the US , we rely almost soley on imported rice. I spent many hours this weekend on the search for rice, Costco is out from Vancouver to Beaverton , and Cash and Carry lines start well an hour before opening. I have had good luck so far at Food for Less, Wico was completely out on Sat when I went and siad that they did not think they would be getting any more in for quite a while.



Also this year has been a bad wheat crop and Oregon is one of the few places world wide still exporting wheat. Oregon does not have a good track record of keeping enough to supply ourselves. Oregon would rather sell it and make money and worry about where to get it later when we run out. Wheat is not as hard to find right now as rice, but (this is just according to Elizabeth and Matt) it may not be long before it is the same.



Not sure if you already knew about all this or not, but from what I have gathered form my moms ward and other friends I have talked to and people I have seen at the store, this is catching people off guard.

[BackBlast]

This is an email I received from my mom, who received it from a friend. Take it as you will (please do not repost to other forums)

Sorry, large inaccuracies here. To see the extent of US rice exports - see this URL http://www.calrice.org/c3a_economic_impact.htm . We are a large rice exporter and produce more than we consume.

The wheat looks equally inaccurate - I believe a good portion of wheat production in the US is the midwest, though I think a good many states have wheat as a staple.

Brandon

[prairiemom]

Yeah, I was going to say just here in my neck of the woods, the farmers were giddy last year with record-setting 40-50 bushels/acre for their wheat. Granted, they planted fewer acres (more going to corn. Big surprise.) but they still had so much wheat that in every small town there were huge piles of it on the ground outside the elevators.

This is an example of how I think the media are trying to manipulate the panic and keep prices up. Whenever I hear a story like this I have to ask myself "What are they trying to accomplish with that story? Who benefits?"

[Equanimity]

Gasp, my spelling is horrid in the title, eek, can a mod fix that?

Yeah I saw the inaccuracies in the rice. I don't know much about wheat, but I know where I am they didn't plant as much last year as they did the year before. Don't know about this year. I just thought it was an interesting email, it came from a sister in her ward though, not the media.

[phylm]

Yes, we are a rice-producing country...I've been through some of the rice fields in Louisiana. Did you know, however, that Burma is the world's 7th largest rice grower, and their crop was just wiped out by that typhoon (with another typhoon on its way--those poor people!) Also a good part of our spring wheat crop in this country was ruined in the floods in 5 states around the Mississippi and its tributaries, and the lower Miss. area is having a bad time trying to get spring crops of soybeans, etc., planted because of the water and silt from the floods. China, India, Viet Nam and some other countries have put a ban on exporting rice until they can be sure that their own needs will be met. This has countries like the Philippines and others who import much of their rice in panic mode. You already know of the riots over the price of wheat in Haiti, Egypt, and other places. Australia's wheat crop is severely damaged by drought, with no end in sight, and other wheat-raising regions are also dealing with drought.

In the meantime, I drove 20 miles for my monthly WalMart outing and got 20 pounds of chicken legs and thighs @ $.49 a lb, which we are preparing to can, and another 15 lbs or so of bbq pork to can. (We have green beans processing at the moment, and a lot of them to do when we finish the meat.) I picked up some 3 lb shortening cans at a little over $2 each, and I checked the rice as I went through that aisle. Plenty of 20 lb bags at approx. $10 a bag. I was told by one sister that Sam's Club was limiting the number of bags to a customer, though. I expect that may be due to their restaurant clientele more than anything else.

As we hear of the shortages and tragedies around the world, doesn't it make you wonder how come we are so blessed to have been born in this wonderful country? Because we have been placed here in this time and place, I have a feeling that our Lord expects a lot from us in furthering the kingdom here on earth. I pray that we don't let Him down.

[mirkwood]

How long does canned (jarred) meat store?

[phylm]

I have chicken left that I canned 5 years ago, and it has been kept in not ideal conditions. I have used some recently, and it is fine. I suspect that it will keep indefinitely if stored in cool house. (We have 7 quarts of chicken ready to take off in 20 minutes. Did 18 pints of green beans first this afternoon when I got home.)

[Lucy]

chicken breasts were on sale on Lin's this week. I just finished all the bottling. Ymmmm.

[kamoil]

I spoke to my cousin this evening who's husband is a farmer, south of me. She said that even if he wanted to sell to the US, he couldn't. Because Germany has come in and outbid the US by a long shot. He is contracted to Germany for the next 5 years for wheat. She said that alot of the local farmers are contracting outside the US.

What this means is that even though we have plenty of wheat on US soil, it is promised elsewhere. And I can't image this is happening Only in AZ.

Although, the church owns quite a bit of Wheat feilds, there as well, and the canneries will have Red Wheat come Fall Harvest.

[Equanimity]

I wonder what will happen when we have wheat and others don't? Do you all think the government will take it?

[Charsee]

Regarding canned chicken...

Do you cut the raw meat off the bones? Cook it first and then can it? can the legs whole or ???

[Charsee]

I spoke to my cousin this evening who's husband is a farmer, south of me. She said that even if he wanted to sell to the US, he couldn't. Because Germany has come in and outbid the US by a long shot. He is contracted to Germany for the next 5 years for wheat. She said that alot of the local farmers are contracting outside the US.

What this means is that even though we have plenty of wheat on US soil, it is promised elsewhere. And I can't image this is happening Only in AZ.

Although, the church owns quite a bit of Wheat feilds, there as well, and the canneries will have Red Wheat come Fall Harvest.

I had no idea wheat contracts lasted so long! Guess the farmers won't be too popular after a while, can't blame them though. Unless the government steps in, all of our assets will go where the value of the dollar makes them cheap and we get the best prices. Not that I am pro-big government either. Just when most countries either are not exporting or charging a 40 percent export fee (like Russia) we will continue to be the "cheap" food source for the world but it won't be cheap for us.

[LoudmouthMormon]

How long does canned (jarred) meat store?I broke into some 2003 cannery beef stew the other day - it all looked and tasted like it had been canned yesterday. Kept in a cool basement stairwell.

LM

[BackBlast]

How long does canned (jarred) meat store?

Canned food is considered to last 2 years as a general rule. At least this is usually when manufacturer's expiration dates are set. The food doesn't go bad, it simply has diminished nutritional value after that. Which is why instead of an expiration date it's usually a "best by" date.

You may well find 10 year old canned food is fine to the taste. Though not of optimal nutritional value. It's edible though :001_005:

Just watch for the danger signs - bulging cans and such should be discarded ASAP.

Brandon

[Lucy]

you can bone the meat or leave the bones in. Use the Ball Blue Book or call you extension office to find out the length of time to process and the pressure to use.

[bokbadok]

Imo, chicken in particular tastes better when cooked with the bone. I leave mine in.

[mirkwood]

Canned food is considered to last 2 years as a general rule. At least this is usually when manufacturer's expiration dates are set. The food doesn't go bad, it simply has diminished nutritional value after that. Which is why instead of an expiration date it's usually a "best by" date.

You may well find 10 year old canned food is fine to the taste. Though not of optimal nutritional value. It's edible though :001_005:

Just watch for the danger signs - bulging cans and such should be discarded ASAP.

Brandon



Thanks, I was aware of that. My question was about home canning (jarring). I've never done that and have been considering doing my own meats.

[BackBlast]

Yes, we are a rice-producing country...I've been through some of the rice fields in Louisiana. Did you know, however, that Burma is the world's 7th largest rice grower, and their crop was just wiped out by that typhoon (with another typhoon on its way--those poor people!) Also a good part of our spring wheat crop in this country was ruined in the floods in 5 states around the Mississippi and its tributaries, and the lower Miss. area is having a bad time trying to get spring crops of soybeans, etc., planted because of the water and silt from the floods. China, India, Viet Nam and some other countries have put a ban on exporting rice until they can be sure that their own needs will be met. This has countries like the Philippines and others who import much of their rice in panic mode. You already know of the riots over the price of wheat in Haiti, Egypt, and other places. Australia's wheat crop is severely damaged by drought, with no end in sight, and other wheat-raising regions are also dealing with drought.

Note, I didn't say that there wasn't problems or shortages. I said that the descriptions were inaccurate. There are food production issues, mostly with rice. Wheat is more of a victim to loss of acreage to corn and some minor inclement weather with crop losses here and there rather than large failures in whole regions like rice.

I think we'll see massive reductions in the meat supply going forward, which will ease the grain requirements going forward and we'll stabilize the supplies a little better for next year.

I expect wheat to stabilize and come down some when the US crops start hitting the markets again. I'm not expecting rice to go back down.



In the meantime, I drove 20 miles for my monthly WalMart outing and got 20 pounds of chicken legs and thighs @ $.49 a lb, which we are preparing to can, and another 15 lbs or so of bbq pork to can. (We have green beans processing at the moment, and a lot of them to do when we finish the meat.) I picked up some 3 lb shortening cans at a little over $2 each, and I checked the rice as I went through that aisle. Plenty of 20 lb bags at approx. $10 a bag. I was told by one sister that Sam's Club was limiting the number of bags to a customer, though. I expect that may be due to their restaurant clientele more than anything else.

Now is good time to buy meat, I don't expect you will ever find it that cheap again. At least not while oil is more than $80/barrel. Rice's shortage in the US is caused by changing buying patterns. Supplies are based on old patterns. I don't think it's restaurants, because a lot of them are starting to go out a business. A trend I think will continue as business is down.

Brandon

[phylm]

Charsee---We just stuffed the jars bones and all. You can cut the meat from the bone, but need to process it then for 90 minutes at 10 lbs pressure, only 75 minutes with bones in. You don't cook the meat, just put it in the jar, leaving 1 inch head space, add 1/2 tsp salt for pints, 1tsp for quarts. Don't add water..it makes its own broth as it processes. Be sure your jar tops are wiped clean before putting caps on.

[phylm]

A PS: If you need any info on canning, processing times, etc., just run a search on the Internet. I had forgotten the time for green beans, so just typed in "canning green beans," and found several good sources, including Extension Service sites. Incidentally, was in local supermarket today and noticed that the plentiful supply of long white rice was just a bit over $5.00 per 20 lb bag, better than cannery price. I don't need more rice for storage, so left it for the next guy.

[bokbadok]

Congratulations, phlym, in resisting that "hoarding" urge. :thumbsup: