re: Wheat and Rice prices about to skyrocket here in the USA

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The issue is one of a lack of fertilizer, not a lack of arable land.

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I get it. Just jaded because since the 60s they've been telling us we're out of capability to feed ourselves b/c of overpopulation.

The problem is corn is used in EVERYTHING, not just cornmeal and corn starch but ethanol blended gasoline, high fructose corn syrup, animal feel, etc. They won’t be reducing the amount of corn being used for making fuel, but they will spike the hell out of food prices.

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rice famine = cajuns keep all rice for themselves

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fify

What is the 11 month supply? 4 month supply? This is jibberish.

One thing is for damn sure - the Left will bend heaven and earth to keep Soy prices in check

It’s how many months the amount of commodity in storage can supply before it runs out.

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I doubt we will ever see $30 rice

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California sells $30 + rice every year

This year with the drought it might be $45/cwt

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We can't make fertilizer here in the USA?

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Fertilizer is essentially 3 different nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) that different plants and soils need to be productive. Some fertilizer raw materials can be sourced domestically, but others cannot.

The U.S. does not have nearly enough domestic potassium sources to meet the demand, and thus imports most of it from Canada, with Russia and Ukraine being the next largest sources.

The nations of Europe get most of their potash (potassium) from Ukraine and Russia, so the disruption of that supply means more countries buying Canadian potash, meaning a shortage and higher prices. Corn production tends to need a lot of potassium to produce economical yields, and corn is in everything, so fertilizer shortage means significantly higher food prices.

In addition, while the U.S. largely satisfies its own demands for Phosphorus, it is believed that our natural reserves may run out in the foreseeable future. China, Mexico, and Morocco have the largest untouched reserves. Morocco is the really interesting one because their reserves are located in the sparsely populated and controversial region of Western Sahara which Morocco has questionably legally occupied for decades. The areas controlled by rebel groups have massive untapped phosphorus deposits. In addition, Morrocan potash is being subjected to sanctions as well.

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You do realize that agriculture is a worldwide industry?

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Yes.

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Yes, 85% of the potash in the US comes from Canada. However, if you take out the 2nd and 3rd largest producers, other countries will come into the market trying to buy Canada's supply.

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The sourced article said "potash fertilizer". The reality is that this is not true. Potash mining perhaps.

The vast majority of worldwide fertilizers are made with ammomia, byproducts of cokemaking in the steel industry and crude refining in the petrochemical industry.

Again, would agree Russia is a leader in that arena.

Interestingly, greeniies cannot seem to fathom how if we do indeed get away from carbon based fuels / production plants, we'll be screwed for fertilizers.

One of another main ingredient for nitrogens is concrete and asphalt production. Inn N America this was always sourced with flyash/bottom ash from coal fired power plants. EPA restrictions banned a lot of that material 10 years ago or so for use in roadways due to the heavy metals in flyash, but generally it's an ingredient we don't have much of anymore in N. America and now a lot of mined potash is used instead.

I was really just taking issue with the wording of the article concerning "potash fertilizers" versus potash mining and not the OP as I'd already stated.