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Indian middle class responsible for rising food prices: Bush!
US President George Bush blamed the growing prosperity of India’s large middle class for global rise in food prices. Bush joined his top diplomat Condoleezza Rice in suggesting India’s role in the world food crisis as she had also said last week that apparent improvement in the diets of people in China and India and resultant export caps among the reasons for the skyrocketing prices of grain worldwide.
While commenting on the economy during a visit on Friday to World Wide Technology, Inc. in Maryland Heights, Missouri Bush said,”…the more prosperous the world is, the more opportunity there is, It also, however, increases demand.”
“So, for example, just as an interesting thought for you, there are 350 million people in India who are classified as middle class. That’s bigger than America. Their middle class is larger than our entire population. ”
“And when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food. And so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up,”
But unlike Rice who acknowledged that biofuels may be a contributory factor, Bush would not agree that America’s new found love for corn-based ethanol was causing the prices of food to go up.
Major part of ethanol now is produced from corn causing increase in the price of corn, he said.
‘I’ve looked at this issue a lot. Actually, the reason why food prices are high now is because, one, energy costs are high. And if you’re a farmer, you’re going to pass on your cost of energy in the product you sell; otherwise you go broke,’ Bush said.
Weather-related problems are one more factor for the crisis as told by Bush. He said, “Some of the major producers of food have had drought. That’s what happens. Weather patterns change. And so there’s a lot of reasons why the price of food is high.”
Telling that America is by far the most generous nation when it comes to helping the hungry, he said, “No contest. We’re an unbelievably compassionate nation.”
Bush asked Congress to put some more money out, about USD 5 billion as compared to their USD 19 billion, over a two-year period of time, of food.
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8 Responses to “Indian middle class responsible for rising food prices: Bush!”
USA is Interested in making bio-fuel to replace petrol / diesel. The more price of petrol / diesel now and corn being used to make future fuel are the main reasons to push up food price. But this is conveniently forgotten by Mr. Bush. In India we do not waste food, But Americans waste the food most. USA has reserve of oil for next 25 years. If they sell the oil in market, the price of oil will go down, reducing the price of food.
dude its so easy to point the finger at india but you cant blame america for right bush dude come on america had to have done something with this bush go 2 hell
One more reason for this is the consumption of Beef in USA is so high , to meet that demand the cows are fed rice and corn
Just one word..BULLSHIT
Did Bush know that if Americans reduced their meat intake by merely a 10% there would be no world hunger ….the cereals which are grown are fed to the cattle and livestock meant for human consumption. Why doesnt he checks the facts before stating something ….No Wonder he is called Dumb all over the world !
It sounds kewl. Soon the world economy gonna depend on India .
Bush is the worse president the US ever had. He is destroying the middle class here. The ethanol fiasco is a farce,no one here uses ethanol. He just wanted to pay back big business with this fiasco. IMO Bush and Cheney being oil people have something to do with these high oil prices. They are friends with the Saudi’s and their is certainly no shortage of oil. The oil companies are raking in record profits and don’t give a dam about the rest of the country or world. What a terrible administation Bush-Cheney are, I for one can’t wait until they are out of office.
I like indian food too specially when it is less spicy, great food. Concerning street food in South Asia are the sellers are checked for health standards?
Best regards