"forced to buy wheat" "addicted" to wheat

[ensho]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JD17Df01.html

Sri Lanka grows home solution to grain prices


Drastically lowered wheat consumption in Sri Lanka - once running close to that of the domestically grown staple rice - has been welcomed by food security experts as the only way to beat the present increases in global grain prices.

President Mahinda Rajapakse is among those who have publicly welcomed the reversal in the dietary habits of Sri Lankans and the return to rice and pulses.

"I am exceedingly glad at the fall in consumption of wheat-flour based products. Despite the fact that we possess very fertile lands, the consumption of wheat was forced upon us, initially by the provision of wheat free of charge, and later on credit, until we were addicted to it," the president told a meeting of his nationalist Sri Lanka Freedom Party this month.

On Friday, the Rome-based Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) listed Sri Lanka among 14 countries facing "food emergencies" due to rising prices.

Asian countries in the FAO list included Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Tajikistan and Armenia, while Ivory Coast, Senegal, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and Mozambique figured under Africa.

Sri Lanka has raised tariffs on imported grain and issued appeals to rice exporters such as Indian and Vietnam for increased supplies of rice.

-snip-

Wheat grain is now imported from Australia and other cheaper global sources by Prima Ltd, a Singapore-based miller with a plant in Sri Lanka, whose sole source till about five years ago was the US. Prima has its first competitor in a Dubai-based miller who has vowed that when its Colombo plant starts operating in May wheat flour prices are bound to fall.

-snip-

Economist Sanderatne sees benefits in the shift to more rice consumption, saying that the wheat flour consumed by Sri Lankans has far less nutritional value than rice. "What we get is different from other flour as over 70% of the wheat extract is exported," he said.
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things are a'changing.

[didact]

1. I'd love to see the trend numbers on Celiac disease and gluten intolerance there*

[shraby]

2. They must use different rice than we can

buy in the store..he said this:
"Economist Sanderatne sees benefits in the shift to more rice consumption, saying that the wheat flour consumed by Sri Lankans has far less nutritional value than rice. "What we get is different from other flour as over 70% of the wheat extract is exported," he said."

Has anyone read the side of a package of rice to find its nutritional value? Virtually none.

[rox63]

3. Plain old white rice is mostly devoid of nutrients

Perhaps whole-grain rice is better.

[Speck Tater]

4. Rice is primarily a calorie food.

It also contains protein and numerous minerals. Rice and beans together form a balanced protein. Add in a few veggies for vitamins not present in either rice or beans, and you have a well balance diet.

Plain white rice has significantly more potassium, calcium, iron and phosphorus than the equivalent weight of plain white wheat flour, and has pretty much identical amounts of other major nutrients.

on edit: The main difference between whole grain brown rice and white rice is in the B-complex vitamins, and the fat/oil content. Brown rice, however, only has a useful shelf life of a few months due to the oils oxidizing (going rancid), while white rice will store at room temperature for 30 years or more. Add a source B-complex vitamins (an egg, a little bit of meat, a B-complex supplement, etc.) and it makes more sense to store white rice.

[ensho]

5. thank you for info

nt