Sri Lanka Agri-Policy & Supply Chain Experts - Rice Shortages

Rice shortages don't happen because rice runs out. They happen because the whole system around it, farming, milling, trade policy breaks down in different places at once. I wrote about it for the Food and U Magazine, the Food Science and Technology Department's publication at Uva Wellassa University. Some numbers that stayed with me while researching this: 17% of Sri Lanka's population is moderately food insecure right now. 2.1 million agricultural households are under pressure from fertilizer and fuel costs they can't control. And a handful of large millers control enough of the market to set prices without much competition. The article breaks down four separate pressures hitting rice at the same time, climate shocks on farming, economic pressure on inputs, market concentration in milling, and a mismatch between what Sri Lanka grows and what the world actually wants to buy from us. It also looks at what's already being tried the " FAO RiceUP project", flood-resistant rice varieties and what's still missing.Such as real data systems, climate-smart farming support, and market reform that doesn't just regulate prices without fixing supply. Link to the full article in the comments, would genuinely like to hear from anyone working in agri-policy or supply chains on this. . . . #FoodSecurity #SriLanka #RiceCrisis #FoodScience #UvaWellassaUniversity #AgriculturalPolicy