Scientists flag rice shortage concerns as world frets about food shortage in South-East Asia

A trader selling rice at a stall in a market in Batangas City, Philippines, on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. - Bloomberg

MANILA, Apr 3 (Bloomberg): Concerns are rising over the ability of South-East Asia to retain its title as a major rice supplier to the world as countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia struggle to even produce enough for their own needs.

Current yield trends will not allow the two countries to be self-sufficient in rice, according to a study published in Nature Food journal in March. '