Tuesday, December 20, 2005
[691] Of worst floods, rice and climate change
[691] Of worst floods, rice and climate change
Northern Malaysian states on the Malay Peninsula are suffering the worst flood in 30 years (tag). It has been raining like crazy. Even in Kuala Lumpur, located hundreds of miles south, it's been raining like cats and dogs. I'm surprised that the city hasn't experience any flood.
The sky is starting to remind me of Ann Arbor; I could hardly see the sun everyday. Southern Thailand isn't spared too. If borders are drawn with a huge pen, the floodwater would've erased them with ease. After all this, the weather still won't relent.
As you can see, it won't end soon. Also, check out a current tropical storm that will hit Vietnam anytime soon today.
The floodwater, among other things, affects rice harvest in Malaysia. Paddy fields are devastated by the overflowing water. This is especially bad considering that northeast Malaysian states are the main rice producers in Malaysia and that the fields are scheduled for harvest in this coming January. Looks like the rice industry will have to import more rice soon. I doubt local fields will be able to provide the share it usually offers to the market.
Worse, it isn't just Malaysia that will suffer shortage of rice. Vietnam, which is one of the largest rice producers in Southeast Asia, suffers the same situation. Prices of rice in Southeast Asian markets should go up in the near future given that supply has been cut.
Digressing, price of chicken has gone up by 20 sen. Earlier, I had predicted a price decrease due to bird flu. Unfortunately, while playing around with the demand curve, I'd overlooked the supply function. The hike in chicken prices, ignoring inflation, could be due to the culling of chickens in Asia. With this flood, price could go up further, assuming demand curve is constant.
Though heavy raining this time of the year is typical in this part of the world, this year, the amount of rainfall is above average. Consider also the current situation in China and Japan - record breaking snowfall - and Vietnam - also record breaking rainfall. Finally, keep in mind that 2005 is, according to World Meteorological Organization, the second hottest year on reliable record.
Climate change? Too soon to ascertain but it's good to keep the possibility in mind.
p/s - Kristof versus O'Reilly. Fight! This is the best yet since Bush versus Kerry.
The sky is starting to remind me of Ann Arbor; I could hardly see the sun everyday. Southern Thailand isn't spared too. If borders are drawn with a huge pen, the floodwater would've erased them with ease. After all this, the weather still won't relent.
As you can see, it won't end soon. Also, check out a current tropical storm that will hit Vietnam anytime soon today.
The floodwater, among other things, affects rice harvest in Malaysia. Paddy fields are devastated by the overflowing water. This is especially bad considering that northeast Malaysian states are the main rice producers in Malaysia and that the fields are scheduled for harvest in this coming January. Looks like the rice industry will have to import more rice soon. I doubt local fields will be able to provide the share it usually offers to the market.
Worse, it isn't just Malaysia that will suffer shortage of rice. Vietnam, which is one of the largest rice producers in Southeast Asia, suffers the same situation. Prices of rice in Southeast Asian markets should go up in the near future given that supply has been cut.
Digressing, price of chicken has gone up by 20 sen. Earlier, I had predicted a price decrease due to bird flu. Unfortunately, while playing around with the demand curve, I'd overlooked the supply function. The hike in chicken prices, ignoring inflation, could be due to the culling of chickens in Asia. With this flood, price could go up further, assuming demand curve is constant.
Though heavy raining this time of the year is typical in this part of the world, this year, the amount of rainfall is above average. Consider also the current situation in China and Japan - record breaking snowfall - and Vietnam - also record breaking rainfall. Finally, keep in mind that 2005 is, according to World Meteorological Organization, the second hottest year on reliable record.
Climate change? Too soon to ascertain but it's good to keep the possibility in mind.
p/s - Kristof versus O'Reilly. Fight! This is the best yet since Bush versus Kerry.
03:32 EST |
(1) Comments
the sunday that the floods hit kedah, i was still (almost) jovially discussing there being snow in msia in the future years...
i say, the plot of the movie, the day after tomorrow, hit jackpot.
By chloe, at 20 December, 2005 04:15
