The 11th day of the locust plague in South America.
International grain prices have surged to varying degrees in just 11 days.
Soybeans increased by 173%, reaching US$1,537 per ton; corn increased by 133%, reaching US$725 per ton; wheat increased by 131%, reaching US$806 per ton; rice increased by 138%, reaching US$811 per ton.
As the four core categories of the international grain market, prices have all surged.
And the even more frightening thing is that this increase is still continuing.
Major grain futures research institutions around the world, after combining data from all parties, can easily find that in the next 6 to 12 months, the global grain gap will reach a staggering 180 million tons.
Based on year-on-year data for 21 years.
Among them, the Far East requires about 160 million tons of soybeans and corn, mainly for oil extraction and feed. Part of this demand gap can be regulated.
Then Japan imported 139 million tons; Mexico imported 115 million tons; Egypt imported 113 million tons;
Java imported 100 million tons; Italy imported 82.91 million tons; Spain imported 80.59 million tons; South Korea imported 79.3 million tons; the Netherlands imported 75.96 million tons; and Algeria imported 70.81 million tons.
This is the world's top ten food importing countries in 2021.
This year, due to natural disasters and rice blast, Tianzhu is about to transform from a grain exporting country to a grain importing country.
Brazil and Argentina, which are also core producers of grain exports, will see a significant reduction in soybean and corn production due to the impact of locust plagues.
America and Maple Leaf Country in North America, as well as Lucia and Central Asia, have entered the autumn and winter seasons at this time, and there is no time to replant to make up for the production capacity gap in South America.
Now only Australia can squeeze out some of its production capacity.
Of course, in this series of bad news, there is another piece of news that is barely good news, that is, Java does not need to purchase food internationally this year because the Homo sapiens company has sufficient food reserves of its own.
But Java does not need to import 100 million tons of grain, which does not mean that other regions will be better off, because Java is the world's largest palm oil producer.
To be precise, Homo Sapiens is now the world's largest palm oil producer and is expected to produce 92 million tons of crude palm oil this year, accounting for about 94% of the world's total palm oil production.
The regions that import the most palm oil are Tianzhu, the European Union, and America.
Now that food prices are soaring, the prices of edible oils are also soaring.
It can be said that one move affects the whole body.
America can export it, but there is a huge international gap of 180 million tons, and even ABCD controlled by America cannot produce it at this time.
After all, the production areas in South America that were hit hard by the locust plague are the food production bases of ABCD.
In order to make up for the losses in South American production areas, ABCD will naturally not release inventory, but instead adds fuel to the fire, causing grain prices to skyrocket further.
…
Xiangjiang.
As a free port and financial port, it was severely impacted by the North American stock market crash, and the subsequent world food crisis also began to affect prices here.
Tsim Sha Tsui District in Hong Kong.
In a barbecue restaurant, the owner and chef Niu Dawang is teaching his son Niu Yinghua how to prepare various sauces.
At this moment, my wife Li Caiyun walked into the store carrying a lot of seasonings and vegetables while cursing.
"Mommy, why are you so angry?"
Li Caiyun replied with a helpless look: "The prices of things in the wholesale market have increased again. If this continues, our lunch boxes will also increase, otherwise we will not be able to make it."
“Another price increase?”
"Scallions cost 17 yuan per catty, and ginger costs 38 yuan per catty."
Niu Dawang frowned and quickly called a few old wholesaler friends.
"Hey, Lao Jiang, it's me, Dawang."
"Oh, it's Dawang! Do you want chilled chicken? The price has to go up a bit recently."
Niu Dawang felt nervous and quickly asked: "How much will the price increase?"
"15.3 yuan per pound."
"To mention so much?"
The wholesaler on the other side of the phone smiled bitterly and said: "It's not that I want to raise the price so much, but the purchase price is too high now. If I don't raise the price, I will lose money."
The two chatted for a few words. Niu Dawang hung up the phone worriedly and called the wholesaler of white-striped duck, chilled goose, frozen pork and pork offal.
Without exception, wholesale prices have increased by about 40 to 70%.
"No, we will also raise the price."
"Dad, how much is appropriate?" Niu Yinghua asked quickly.
Niu Dawang took a pen and calculated the amount in a small book, and then determined the price increase: "The three-pack lunch is mentioned at 65 yuan, the roasted duck leg rice is 55 yuan, the barbecued pork rice is 60 yuan..."
"Is this too little?" Niu Yinghua has also read books and knows that this price increase cannot offset the increase in raw material prices.
But Niu Dawang shook his head: "Just think of it as making less money. If the price rises too much all of a sudden, the customers might as well buy food and cook it themselves. Maybe in a few months, prices will drop again."
"Haha..." Niu Yinghua smiled dryly.
He does not think that prices in Xiangjiang will fall back within a few months. On the Internet these days, he has seen a large number of reports and analyzes on the North American stock market crash, the South American locust plague, and the South Asian rice blast.
According to the current trend, it will be difficult for prices to return to their previous levels within a year and a half.
But what can he do? As a member of the public at the bottom, he has no ability to change financial crises, food crises, local wars, etc. He can only watch everything happen.
While he was thinking about it, he was wiping the glass window of the store door.
A reporter from TVB appeared not far away and was interviewing citizens passing by.
An aunt with instant noodle hair and carrying various plastic bags was stopped by a female reporter.
"Auntie! Are you going home to buy groceries?"
The aunt nodded: "Yes!"
"How are the prices in the wet market recently?"
Hearing this, the aunt had a look of pain on her face: "Oh! Forget it, the prices of fruits, vegetables, eggs and pork have increased recently. If this continues, no one can afford to buy vegetables."
The female reporter quickly asked: "Compared to before, how much is the increase now?"
"Three baby cabbages used to cost 15 yuan, but now they cost 21 yuan. Pork used to cost 18 yuan per pound, but now it has increased to 27 yuan per pound..." The more the aunt talked, the more excited she became.
After the female reporter interviewed the aunt, she also interviewed the surrounding shops.
According to interviews, rising prices have basically become a common phenomenon in various industries.
After all, rising food prices mean that the cost of living will also rise, and it is difficult for ordinary people's wages to rise accordingly.
What is even more frightening is that we are currently in the midst of a global economic crisis. A large number of financial institutions and small companies in Hong Kong cannot withstand the impact of the economic crisis and are already showing signs of bankruptcy or layoffs.
This double squeeze is the common situation in the entire Far East.
Xiangjiang is just a microcosm of it.
Of course, although the Far East is a lot more difficult, at least I can grit my teeth and endure it. At most, I can barely fill my stomach by eating less meat, eggs, and milk.
For example, Japan and South Korea, with the support of low-priced grain from America, have barely stabilized the prices of staple grains.
As for another large region in the Far East, they have a large amount of grain production and strategic reserves. The problem of food is not big, but there is a shortage of feed and cooking oil.
The most difficult area at this time is actually Tianzhu.
Grain production has decreased by about 45 million tons compared with last year. Even if the Tianzhu people are hungry, they still need to import at least 20 million tons to barely ensure that widespread famine does not occur.
Nowadays, people all over the world are scrambling for food. Tianzhu does not have enough US dollars and cannot buy much food at all.
At this time, facing internal and external difficulties, Bodhidharma made a difficult decision.
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