“Warmer, drier weather because of an earlier-than-usual El Niño is expected to hamper rice production across Asia, hitting global food security in a world still reeling from the impacts of the war in Ukraine,” writes the Associated Press.
“That’s bad news for rice farmers, particularly in Asia where 90% of the world’s rice is grown and eaten, since a strong El Niño typically means less rainfall for the thirsty crop”.
Abdullah Mamun, a senior research analyst at the International Food Policy Research Institute, said, there are already “alarm bells,” pointing to rising rice prices due to shortfalls in production. The average price of 5% broken white rice in June in Thailand was about 16% higher than last year’s average.
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Republished in multiple, global media outlets including Yahoo News, Voice of America as “El Nino Threatens Rice Crops Across Asia,” ABC News, The Los Angeles Times, The Hindu (Frontline), Daum (Korea), and Arab News.