Posted on 01/16/2015 9:29:19 AM PST by bgill
The subsidized wheat distribution system turned Egypt into the world's biggest importer of wheat, draining the government's foreign currency reserves: Cairo spends $3 billion a year on imports for it. The successful roll-out so far of a new "smart card" system to distribute subsidized bread has been a major achievement for Egypt's government, saving money while earning praise from families who no longer have to wake early to fight for loaves.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Egypt is a country that has to now import all its food.
Historically, the Nile could produce all the food Egypt ever needed but its burgeoning population has outstripped the capacity of the land to sustain it.
Most Egyptians live on less than $1 a day and no Egyptian government will abolish bread subsidies out of fear of provoking serious unrest.
How long has distributing wheat to them been going on?
Since Joseph.
Scan us this day our daily bread...
Its not new.
The Romans distributed bread to the plebs to keep them quiet.
People can live on nothing but bread and water.
EBT Mideast style. :-)
Egypt was a major grain exporter going back in time. That is why it so valuable to various Empires including the Greeks and Romans.
Expensive food is why the US government began the “Cheap Food for Consumers” programs back in the 50’s. For political purposes those programs were called “Farm Programs”.
They paid farmers to plant the correct crops, and also paid them not to over produce, thus the endless mantra of ‘getting paid not to grow’ .
As far as government programs, for almost 50 years it was a stunning success, with food prices plummeting to the lowest ever in the history of the world. Supplies of food went through the roof, the ‘paid not to grow’ parts of the program couldn’t halt the ingenuity of the American farmer to produce more food on less ground.
God has blessed America with hard working farmers, and more food than we can possibly eat, at prices lower than at any other time in history.
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