Asia’s top staple sees renewed demand and applicability amid skyrocketing wheat prices
Published on: October 12, 2022.
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As risks to food security continue to weigh down economies, authorities have turned to promoting caloric-dense rice as an alternative to inflation-impacted food staples. Furthermore, scientists are researching how to make the crop more resistant to climate adversity, and formulators’ interest in the ingredient regains intensity.
With wheat prices struggling to return to pre-Ukraine War levels, Japanese authorities are trying to boost the domestic consumption of rice flour-based products. Meanwhile, Chinese farmers are working on developing water-saving and drought-resistant rice.
Cost of rising rice demand
However, as rice demands increase, so do prices. Increased rice use is also leading to unintended consequences, as countries like Liberia are experiencing a rice shortage, issuing a timely warning to international authorities.
