Posted on 12/28/2021 6:47:53 PM PST by SeekAndFind
About two and a half years ago, we told readers China was panic hoarding food, which was several months before the virus pandemic began to spread worldwide; Beijing has managed to stockpile more than half of the world's maize and other grains that have resulted in rapid food inflation and triggered famine in some countries.
In August 2019, we asked the question:
Does China believe that we are on the verge of a major global crisis? The communist Chinese government has always been very big into planning, and it appears that they have decided that now is the time to hoard food, gold and other commodities.
Fast forward today, the answer is most likely "yes." China maintains "historically high levels" of beans and grains stockpiled at COFCO Group's (a major Chinese state-owned food processor) 310 storage facilities in the northeastern part of the country, according to Nikkei Asia.
Qin Yuyun, head of grain reserves at the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, told reporters last month, "our wheat stockpiles can meet the demand for one and a half years. There is no problem whatsoever about the supply of food."
Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows China has approximately 69% of the globe's maize reserves in the first half of the crop year 2022, 60% of its rice, and 51% of its wheat.
Since the Chinese plan multiple years out, we've pointed out how a series of disasters and weather events have likely led state officials to forecast a troublesome period of food shortages. China has already observed droughts, floods, and pests that have ruined harvests. More than 20 months of snarled supply chains due to COVID and La Nina weather patterns (second consecutive one) have also produced volatile conditions for food production.
The one thing Beijing cannot have is discontent among its citizens triggered by food shortages and or soaring prices; that's why central planners spent $98.1 billion importing food in 2020, up 4.6 times from a decade earlier, according to the General Administration of Customs of China. For the first eight months of this year, China imported more food than in 2016.
"Over the past five years, China's soybean, maize and wheat imports soared two- to twelvefold on aggressive purchases from the U.S., Brazil and other supplier nations. Imports of beef, pork, dairy and fruit jumped two- to fivefold," Nikkei Asia said.
China's acquisition of the world's food supply has helped push food prices to decade highs. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimated the food price index is currently at a ten-year high.
The Ministry of Commerce has even told households to stock up on food in case of emergencies, all under the guise of the virus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media has downplayed the notion China is headed for a food crisis. Chinese President Xi Jinping must keep food supply and prices in order to ensure food security; otherwise, discontent among citizens will increase in the world's second-largest economy.
Nikkei Asia concludes by saying, "throughout history, food shortages have triggered popular unrest. They served as a contributing factor to uprisings that toppled Chinese dynasties."
So without a doubt, Beijing has been stockpiling food to avoid a collapse as central bankers have yet to figure out how to print food from thin air. But don't worry, as the global food situation worsens, we're all likely going to be forced to eat crickets, worms, and grasshoppers.
Maybe they’ve just gone insane like the rest of the world.
To make sure there is enough food for the armed forces and their families? Might some problems otherwise.
Eating a worm when you’re five years old to gross out the girl Sally next door is one thing. But I’d eat my own toenail clippings before I’d make bugs the main source of protein in my diet.
I think communist China is like the USSR was - an empty shell - weak on the inside while a show of military power on the outside.
All we need is someone who would call their bluff just as Reagan did with the USSR which came tumbling down.
Maybe they see their last bio weapon attack petering out. Back to the bat market, Covid 22 anyone?
Hard to say.
A smart guest on CNBC a decade ago said that China has central planning by engineers, scientists, and mathematicians, and the US has central planning by lawyers. Neither is good, but by definition we lose.
Here we go.
The US has about 10 times the grain storage capacity of China and, with the harvest just completed, that capacity is full.
But I’d eat my own toenail clippings before I’d make bugs the main source of protein in my diet.
They're a great source of fat, as well.
Guess we ought to be growing more food and raising more pigs and cattle.
It will rot and mold.
You had to interject that, didn’t you? LOLOL
Why is it described as panic?
Sheesh, when Joseph advised Pharaoh to put up stores of grain, was it called panic hoarding?
I think it turned out to be a smart move.
Locusts contain between 8 and 20 milligrams of iron for every 100 grams of raw locust, whereas Beef contains roughly 6 milligrams of iron in the same amount of meat. Crickets are also very efficient in terms of nutrients. For every 100 grams of substance crickets contain 12.9 grams of protein, 121 calories, and 5.5 grams of fat. Beef contains more protein containing 23.5 grams in 100 grams of substance, but also has roughly triple the calories and four times the amount of fat as crickets do in 100 grams.
I already said fuggetaboutit. I didn’t need an FDA nutritional profile.
It’s nonsense.
American ag can ramp up quicker than anyplace in the world. Grain and meat production have plenty of room for expansion, if needed. And that American ag tech is spreading around the world.
Heck, shoot all the pols in California and food production there could explode.
The danger is that kooky pols and billionaires will artificially restrain expanded production of foodstuffs if it is needed.
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