By Michael, on July 30th, 2009 
Will the world be facing a devastating food crisis by the end of 2009? Record setting droughts and crippling crop failures all over the world are combining to set the stage for a potentially frightening food crisis.
First of all, let’s consider some recent news from right here in the United States.
*Record breaking heat and drought continues to plague the state of Texas. In fact, extreme drought conditions can be found in many agricultural areas from coast to coast.
*If that wasn’t bad enough, a disease known as “late blight” is absolutely devastating tomato and potato plants in the eastern half of the United States. The prices for those two staple foods could shoot through the roof, hitting already hurting consumers really hard.
*Farmers all over the U.S. are reporting disappointing harvests. For example, the very weak wheat harvest this year is disappointing farmers across the state of Illinois.
But it is not just the U.S. that is having problems. In fact, the news from the rest of the world is even more troubling.
*Agricultural scientists fear that Ug99, a devastating wheat fungus also known as stem rust, could wipe out over 80 percent of the world’s wheat crop as it spreads out from Africa.
*Harvests all across the globe are frighteningly low. Just check out these troubling reports from the Market Skeptics blog…..
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1) Bulgaria harvest will be around 20% lower than last season’s output.
2) Argentine farmers will plant just 2.6 million hectares of winter wheat for the 2009/10 season, a stunning 2.1 million less than was planted in 2008/09 (down nearly 45%).
3) Part of the reason behind lower plantings is a two fingered salute to the government and their export restrictions.
4) Brazil, the world’s third largest wheat importer, bought 51,000 MT of US wheat last week, more than it bought in the entire first six months of the year.
5) With the Brazilian real strengthening against the dollar, Brazilian millers that are being forced to look for supplies are finding US wheat fitting the bill quite nicely.
6) Canadian crop development lags with 60% of winter grains are behind normal development. Spring grains development is even further behind, with 75% of crops affected.
7) Ukraine will only produce 35 MMT of grain this season, 35 percent less than last year.
8 ) 3.3 million hectares of the Russia’s spring crops have been badly damaged by drought. Production this year is seen lower at around 55-60 MMT from 63.7 MMT in 2008.
9) Sugar hit it’s highest in three years last week.
10) The lack of monsoon rains in northern India was the main driver of the rally in sugar. World demand is outstripping supply by over six million tonnes at the moment, and India is set to potentially become the world’s largest importer this year.
11) Spanish wheat output is now projected 32% lower this year at 3.8 MMT.
12) Rain is damaging crops in the UK and across Europe.
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So what does all of this mean?
It means that harvests around the world will be smaller at a time when world demand for food is at an all-time high.
In other words, we are facing a crisis.
A really bad crisis.
The world is going to find itself really short of food in a few months. What is coming could make the food riots of 2008 look like a walk in the park.
Make sure that you and your family are prepared for the food crisis that is ahead. Now is the time to build up your emergency food supply:
http://disasterandemergencysurvival.com/emergency-food
