In a surprising move that caught the attention of the world, India recently decided to stop exporting certain types of rice.
This decision has raised concerns about the global supply of rice. The goal of this action was to make sure that India has enough rice for its own people and to prevent a situation where food prices rise dramatically due to hyperinflation. This situation highlights how important it is for countries to plan ahead and think strategically, especially when faced with potential problems.
The upcoming presidential elections in Liberia on October 10th, 2023 make this situation even more important.
It shows how essential it is for leaders to make smart decisions and understand how international trade works. The impact of India's decision has been felt far beyond its borders. Countries like Liberia, Nigeria, and others in the Mano River region are worried about the effects of this decision. I mentioned earlier, on July 26th, that this could lead to serious problems for Liberia unless they quickly came up with a plan to make sure they have enough food.
Now, all eyes are on the Philippines, hoping they can help lessen the risks. The Philippines imported 1.96 million metric tons of rice in the past seven months, which was a 16.37% drop from the previous year. This information comes from the Bureau of Plant Industry.
This situation should be a wake-up call for African governments. It shows how important it is to have strong plans for agriculture so that they're not relying too much on just one type of food.
Depending on global supply chains, conflicts between countries, and foreign policy decisions can lead to problems, as we saw recently with the difficulties around the Black Sea grain deals.
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Now, with India stopping rice exports, it's even clearer that countries need to be more self-sufficient.
As the date of Liberia's presidential elections approaches, the idea of planning ahead, making accurate predictions, and handling uncertainty is becoming more and more important.
Governments that understand how international trade works, how businesses operate, and how markets behave are in a good position to guide their countries through the ups and downs of the world economy.
This moment in time underscores the need for smart leadership that can plan well and quickly adapt to changes in the world, so that a nation's success isn't controlled by outside forces.
From all indications, the international connections, experience, forward thinking,
strategic planning and leadership of the CPP provide some surety of steadiness in dealing with such geo-political and economic pressures without significantly injuring or tilting Liberia's long term global alliances.
Liberians will be well served with a Cummings-Brumskine ticket which is poised to check the chronic national economic decline and acceptance of the mindset of dependence to citizens' empowerment through credible leadership.
Liberia Deserves Better!
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