Homo sapiens.

Chapter 326 Hungry World
22, April 10.

The 11th day of the locust outbreak in South America.

In this short period of 11 days, international food prices have skyrocketed to varying degrees.

大豆涨幅173%，达到每吨1537美刀；玉米涨幅133%，达到每吨725美刀；小麦涨幅131%，达到每吨806美刀；大米涨幅138%，达到每吨811美刀。

As the four core categories in the international grain market, there have been substantial price increases.

And the more frightening thing is that this kind of increase is still going on.

After combining the data of various parties, major grain futures research institutions around the world can easily find that in the next 6 to 12 months, the global grain gap will reach an astonishing 1.8 million tons.

According to the data of 21 years to compare.

Among them, the Far East needs about 1.6 million tons of soybeans and corn, which are mainly used for oil extraction and feed. This demand gap can be partially adjusted.

Then Japan imported 1.39 million tons; Mexico imported 1.15 million tons; Egypt imported 1.13 million tons;

爪哇进口1亿吨；意大利进口8291万吨；西班牙进口8059万吨；南高丽进口 7930万吨；尼德兰进口7596万吨；阿尔及利亚进口7081万吨。

This is the world's top ten importers of grain for 21 years.

This year, due to natural disasters and rice blast, Tianzhu is about to change from a grain exporter to a grain importer.

Brazil and Argentina, which are also the core producers of grain exports, will significantly reduce soybean and corn production due to the impact of locust plagues.

America and Maple Leaf countries in North America, as well as Lucia and Central Asia, have entered autumn and winter at this time, and it is too late to replant to make up for the production capacity gap in South America.

Now only Australia can barely squeeze out part of the production capacity.

Of course, in this series of bad news, there is also news that is barely good news, that is, Java does not need to purchase food internationally this year, because Homo sapiens has enough food reserves.

However, Java does not need to import 1 million tons of grain, which does not mean that other regions will be better off, because Java is the world's largest producer of palm oil.

To be precise, Homo sapiens is now the largest palm oil producer in the world. It is expected to produce 9200 million tons of crude palm oil this year, accounting for about 94% of the world's total palm oil production.

The regions that import the most palm oil are Tianzhu, the European Union, and America.

Now the price of food is soaring, and the price of edible oil is also soaring.

It can be described as pulling one hair and moving the whole body.

America can export, but there is a huge gap of 1.8 million tons in the world, and even the ABCD controlled by America cannot produce it at this time.

After all, the South American production area hit hard by the locust plague is the grain production base of ABCD.

In order to make up for the loss in South American production areas, ABCD will naturally not release the inventory, but instead contribute to the flames, causing food prices to skyrocket further.

……

Hong Kong.

As a free port and financial port, it was severely impacted by the North American stock market crash, and the world food crisis that followed has also begun to affect prices here.

Tsim Sha Tsui district in Hong Kong.

In a barbecue restaurant, the owner and chef Niu Dawang is teaching his son Niu Yinghua how to make various sauces.

At this moment, his wife Li Caiyun walked into the store carrying a lot of seasonings and vegetables cursing.

"Mommy, why are you so angry?"

Li Caiyun replied with a helpless face: "The prices of things in the wholesale market have increased again. If this continues, our box lunches will also increase, otherwise we will not be able to do it."

"Another price increase?"

"Scallions cost 17 yuan a catty, and sand ginger costs 38 yuan a catty."

Niu Dawang frowned, and he hurriedly called several old friends who were wholesalers.

"Hey, Lao Jiang, it's me Dawang."

"Oh, it's Dawang! Do you want chilled chicken? The price has to be raised recently."

Niu Dawang's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "How much is the price increase?"

"15.3 yuan a catty."

"To mention so much?"

The wholesaler on the other side of the phone smiled bitterly: "It's not that I want to raise the price so much, but that the purchase price is too high now. If I don't raise the price, I will lose money."

The two chatted for a few words, and Niu Dawang hung up the phone worriedly, and then called the wholesaler of white-striped duck, chilled goose, frozen pork and offal.

Without exception, wholesale prices have increased by about 40-70%.

"No, we'll raise the price too."

"Old Dou, how much is appropriate?" Niu Yinghua asked quickly.

Niu Dawang took a pen and did some calculations in a small notebook before deciding on the price increase: "Three packs of boxed meals are mentioned at 65 yuan, roasted duck leg rice is 55 yuan, and barbecued pork rice is 60 yuan..."

"Will this increase be too little?" Niu Yinghua has also read books and knows that this price increase cannot offset the price increase of raw materials.

But Niu Dawang shook his head: "Let's just make a little less money. If the price rises too much all of a sudden, customers might as well buy vegetables and cook for themselves. Maybe after a few months, prices will drop again."

"Hehe..." Niu Yinghua smiled dryly.

He doesn't think that prices in Xiangjiang will drop within a few months. On the Internet these days, he has seen a large number of reports and analyzes on the stock market crash in North America, the locust plague in South America, and the rice blast in South Asia.

According to the current trend, it is difficult for prices to return to the previous level within a year and a half.

But what can he do? As the general public at the bottom, he has no ability to change those financial crises, food crises, local wars, etc., and can only watch everything happen.

Just as he was thinking about it, he was cleaning the glass window of the store door.

A reporter from TVB appeared not far away, interviewing passing citizens.

An instant noodle-haired aunt carrying various plastic bags was stopped by a female reporter.

"Auntie! Do you want to buy food and go home?"

The aunt nodded: "Yes!"

"How are the prices in the vegetable market recently?"

Hearing this, the aunt's face was pained: "Oh! Don't mention it, the prices of fruits, vegetables, eggs and pork have all increased recently. If this continues, everyone will not be able to afford vegetables."

The female reporter hurriedly asked: "Compared to before, how much is the increase now?"

"The three baby dishes used to cost 15 yuan, but now they cost 21 yuan. Pork used to cost 18 yuan a catty, but now it has risen to 27 yuan a catty..." The more the aunt said, the more excited she became.

After the female reporter interviewed the aunt, she also interviewed the surrounding shops.

Through interviews, rising prices have basically become a common phenomenon in various industries.

After all, the rise in food prices means that the cost of living will also rise, but it is difficult for ordinary people's wages to rise accordingly.

What is even more frightening is that it is currently in the midst of a global economic crisis. A large number of financial institutions and small companies in Xiangjiang cannot withstand the impact of the economic crisis, and there are signs of bankruptcy or layoffs.

This kind of double squeeze is the general status quo in the entire Far East.

Xiangjiang is just a microcosm of it.

Of course, although the Far East region is quite difficult, at least it can be endured by gritting your teeth. At most, you can eat less meat, eggs and milk to fill your stomach.

For example, Dongying and South Korea, they also have low-priced food support from America, and they barely stabilized the price of staple food.

As for another large region in the Far East, they themselves have a lot of grain production and strategic reserves, so there is not a big problem with food, but there is a shortage of feed and cooking oil.

At this time, the most difficult area is actually Tianzhu.

Compared with last year, the grain production has decreased by about 4500 million tons. Even if the people of Tianzhu are relatively hungry, they need to import at least 2000 million tons to barely ensure that there will be no large-scale famine.

Internationally, people all over the world are scrambling for food. Tianzhu doesn't have enough dollars to buy much food at all.

At this time, facing the internal and external difficulties, Bodhidharma made a difficult decision.

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(End of this chapter)