Yesterday I did a piece on the decline of the fortunes of Iran and its best buddy Hizballah No Deal. Today I got some news that fleshes out the story.
Since the 2008-09 marketing year began on June 1, Iran has bought more than one million tons of hard red winter wheat directly from the U.S., which is “a very large amount,” said Bill Nelson, analyst for Wachovia Securities. The purchases mean at least 3% to 4% of domestic wheat exports for the marketing year will go to a country the U.S. hasn’t done business with for more than a generation. Government sanctions don’t prohibit U.S. agricultural exporters from doing business with Iran.
This is the first time since ’81 – ’82 that Iran has bought wheat from America. At that time it was under a million tons. This year’s purchase is expected to run 5 million tons. So what happens when you have to buy food from your enemy to keep going? Obviously bellicosity has to decline. And you pull in your cats paws like Hizballah. No point in upsetting the grain cart when there are no other sellers. Another humiliation for the poor dears. It just points further to the Iranian Government’s mismanagement of the Iranian economy. My guess is that drought is an excuse not a reason.
Investing in missiles and atomic bombs does not feed the hungry. Water projects should be taking priority.
Cross Posted at Power and Control
Comments
3 responses to “Hunger Stalks Iran”
There has never been a famine in a democratic country with a free press.
5 million tons, 70 million people= 142 pounds of wheat per person. IOW, without US wheat, Iran starves.
“There has never been a famine in a democratic country with a free press” .. prove it .. btw Iran is more democratic than most US allies in the Area for example the Ruthless Saudis or the Aging Pharaoh Mubarak ..
Real hunger IS common in egypt , and people line up everyday to get their daily portion of bread! blame mubarak for mismanagement!
Now tell me ….. if by coincidence this year iran faced a drought how would that be the Govrnment fault? what is wrong with importing wheat to cover your deficiency, the US enjoys better climate. And Saudi Arabia , Egypt,Iraq and Jordan have been importing wheat for 50 years.
What do you know about the iranian economy? And i hope you apply the same “Feed the Hungry” policy in the US , lets see if your “Democracy” will mean anything for the military-complex lobby.
do you know that Syria Iran’s ally is the only arab country that is sufficient in food?