Have You Noticed The Shortage Of Rice Krispies? This Is Why Credit for the photograph goes to Roberto Machado. Noa has become a signature of the pandemic, particularly during major holidays. Valentine’s Day was no exception for one Twitter user, who intended to prepare Rice Krispies Treats in honor of the holiday.
- Unfortunately, it did not work out.
- I went to three different stores in search of the cereal, only to find that the shelves were bare,” she said with obvious exasperation.
- I see online that there is a SHORTAGE.” Similar sentiments are prevalent throughout social media.
- In the United States and Canada, cereal aisles are empty and.
They are all asking the same thing: “Where did the Rice Krispies go?” Here are the facts you must know about the ongoing shortage. The Kellogg’s Strike That Began Everything In October 2021, 1,400 Kellogg employees went on strike due to labor negotiations.
- The strike lasted 71 days until both parties reached an agreement on a new five-year contract in December of 2021.
- Due to the length of the strike, a number of Kellogg’s products, including Rice Krispies, have been in short supply as the company attempts to resume production.
- A Component Shortage with Poor Timing The shortage is not caused solely by the strike.
Moreover, the pandemic is to blame: Rice, which is obviously one of the primary ingredients in Rice Krispies, is one of the foods that are difficult to obtain due to disruptions in the supply chain. The cost of the 2021 rice crop increased due to a 16 percent decrease in rice production in the United States in 2021 compared to the previous year.
- According to T.
- Randall Fortenbery, a professor in the School of Economic Sciences at Washington State University, the cost of medium grain rice, the variety used in Rice Krispies, is expected to increase by approximately 15 percent this year.
- Fortenbery also cited the increased cost of packaging and material shortages of cardboard and wax paper (i.e., the components of a cereal box) as probable causes of the Rice Krispies shortage.
All of these factors have conspired to increase the price of your favorite breakfast cereal, a pinch that some consumers are already experiencing. A Twitter user expresses the sentiment succinctly: “Every time I see the price of original Rice Krispies, I want to faint.” When Is It Going to End? Kellogg’s has acknowledged a “temporary shortage of Rice Krispies” due to “supply constraints in manufacturing” in response to these tweets.
- The company claims it is working as quickly as possible to restock shelves, but there is no estimated date for when production will return to normal.
- In the interim, Kellogg’s suggests using the on its website, which indicates whether a product is available in your area.
- We recommend calling your local shop directly to avoid the need to travel throughout town.
Perhaps Kellogg’s can learn from its competitor Post Consumer Brands, which encountered a similar problem in January when a prompted an online outcry from diehard fans. Mid-March, approximately one month later, Post Consumer Brands will replenish the shelves with sufficient quantities of boxes.
Why are there so few grains of barley in Rice Krispies?
Why is Rice Krispies in short supply? – In December 2021, 1,400 Kellogg’s employees signed a collective bargaining agreement that included improved working conditions and pay. The agreement ended a 77-day strike that shook the industry and helped Kellogg’s CEO Steve Cahillane advocate for unions and worker rights beyond the company.
Article continues below advertisement Due to the length and scope of the strike, Kellogg’s had difficulty keeping up with production. Several items, including Rice Krispies, are experiencing a temporary shortage. On February 5, over a month after the collective bargaining agreement, Kellogg’s announced a temporary shortage of Rice Krispies and other brands.
The shortage is a direct result of worker strike-related labor shortages and supply chain problems. Article continues below advertisement In addition to worker issues, Rice Krispies has had difficulty acquiring its essential ingredient, barley malt extract.
- The availability of malting-quality barley is the root cause of one of the many supply chain bottlenecks afflicting the world.
- According to Proximity Malt, until the 2022 barley harvest, North American companies are sourcing the ingredient from Europe and Australia.
- This issue is not immune to Kellogg’s.
Additionally, internal issues have slowed production for several months. This double-edged sword has made it more difficult for the cereal giant to produce Rice Krispies. Continue reading below advertisement
A worldwide shortage of Rice Krispies?
Rice is not currently in short supply, but studies indicate that this could change in the near future. – Credit: Getty Images A man spraying a rice field Southeast Asia is the world’s leading supplier of rice at present. In fact, the region supplies forty percent of the world’s rice exports, according to a study published in Nature Food.
Article continues below advertisement While “the rice systems located in the river basins and deltas of this region now produce a large and stable surplus of rice that not only meets the global food supply,” according to researchers, “the new millennium has brought rice systems a number of challenges.” Several of these obstacles include: Limited land holdings Climate shift Profitability stagnates Population growth will increase demand for rice in Southeast Asia by 18 percent by 2050, according to researchers.
Southeast Asia’s ability to “maintain its status as a major global rice supplier” may be jeopardized by the aforementioned issues and factors, given the region’s high rice consumption. Article continues below advertisement