Money

Is the party finally over on Wall Street?  So far this month, the Dow is down more than 4 percent, the S&P 500 is down almost 8 percent, and the Nasdaq has fallen over 12 percent.  In fact, the Nasdaq dropped almost 4 percent on Tuesday alone, and at this point it is almost 23 percent below the all-time high.  Needless to say, that puts the Nasdaq solidly into bear market territory.  Tech stocks were at the front of the long march up the mountain, and now they are leading the avalanche back down.  Hundreds of billions of dollars in paper wealth is being wiped out, and a lot of the “experts” are suddenly warning that the worst is still yet to come.

So why are investors so spooked?

Well, CNBC is blaming a number of different factors…

Worries about the global economy loomed. Investors are worried about a Covid surge in China. Regarding the war in Ukraine, a top Russian official said the threat of nuclear war is real. Plus, high inflation in the U.S. is denting demand for goods from houses to sneakers.

Let’s take a look at each of those factors one at a time.

For years, I wrote article after article about how foolish it was for us to become so dependent on goods from China.  Now a fresh wave of COVID lockdowns has paralyzed economic activity in much of that nation, and that has enormous implications for those of us in the western world…

Widespread covid outbreaks in China have bought entire cities to a standstill and hobbled manufacturing and shipping hubs throughout the country. An estimated 373 million people — or about one-quarter of China’s population — have been in covid-related lockdowns in recent weeks because of what is known as the country’s zero covid policy, according to economists at Nomura Holdings. There are also fears that new lockdowns could soon take hold in the capital city, Beijing, escalating the threat to the global economic recovery.

Anxiety over new disruptions has already caused the Chinese stock market to fall sharply, weighing on U.S. stock indexes as well.

Much of what usually populates our stores shelves normally comes from factories in China.

Without a regular flow of those goods, our store shelves will become quite bare fairly rapidly.

In fact, it is being reported that the shipping time for toys from China has already risen “from 21 days to 159 days”…

The shipping time for toys from China to U.S. stores has ballooned from 21 days to 159 days during the pandemic, he said.

“All holiday toys have to ship out of China by the beginning of August, but that is not going to happen,” Larian said. “The factories are having a tough time getting labor, prices are going up, China keeps closing provinces. The big picture is bad, worse than last year.”

The war in Ukraine is another factor which is frightening investors.

This week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that we should not “underestimate” the possibility that World War III could break out over this conflict…

Speaking to Russian news agencies, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised Kyiv’s approach to floundering peace talks, saying the risk of a World War III “is serious”.

“It is real, you can’t underestimate it.”

Of course my regular readers already know that I believe that World War III has already begun.

And both sides just continue to escalate matters.  On Tuesday, we learned that the Germans have decided to send tanks to Ukraine after all…

In a major reversal following Chancellor Olaf Scholz only days ago voicing strong resistance, it appears Berlin has bowed to the mounting pressure among allies and approved new tank deliveries to Ukraine from Germany’s own stock, which Scholz had previously said was depleted.

The German Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday that delivery of Gepard anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine has been approved. As part of Scholz’s earlier rejection of sending heavy weapons systems, he had cited the potential for the West and Russia sliding into a WW3 and nuclear war scenario.

Even more alarming, a former top NATO official that is currently advising Joe Biden is suggesting that NATO troops should be sent into western Ukraine…

Former NATO top commander Gen. Philip Breedlove is the latest big name to come out for putting troops on the ground in Ukraine. Breedlove, who has been angling for weeks for a more muscular policy against Russia, told The Times of London that it’s time for real action. And he may have the ear of the White House: the article says he’s named as one of “several high-ranking retired commanders advising the Biden administration on Ukraine.”

Instead of escalating the conflict, our leaders should be doing all that they can to try to bring about a negotiated resolution to this war.

Because once we get to a point where U.S. and Russian forces start shooting at each other, there will be no going back.

The third factor that CNBC mentioned was inflation.

On Tuesday, we learned that U.S. home prices in February 2022 were close to 20 percent higher than they were in February 2021…

Home prices increased 19.8% in February year over year, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index. That is up from the 19.1% annual increase in January and is the third-highest reading in the index’s 35-year history.

In other areas of the economy, price increases are even more absurd.  For instance, we are now being told that used vehicle prices are actually 35 percent higher than they were a year ago…

Used car prices are already up 35 percent from a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Beneke says he expects them to climb even higher in coming weeks as a result of new shortages and delays.

The reserve currency of the entire planet is being systematically destroyed, but our leaders in Washington continue to spend money like drunken sailors.

What we are witnessing is complete and utter madness.

Meanwhile, the World Bank is warning that the worst global food crisis since World War II threatens to get a whole lot worse in the months ahead…

The World Bank commodity outlook also warned many foods are set to see steep rises in their costs. The UN food prices index already shows they are at their highest since records began 60 years ago.

Wheat is forecast to increase 42.7% and reach new record highs in dollar terms. Other notable increases will be 33.3% for barley, 20% for soybeans and 29.8% for oils and 41.8% for chicken. These increases reflect the fact that exports from Ukraine and Russia have fallen drastically.

For a long time I warned that a “perfect storm” was brewing, and now a “perfect storm” is here.

But what we have experienced so far is just the beginning.

It is going to get a whole lot worse from here.

The consequences of decades of incredibly foolish decisions are going to come crashing down upon us all at once, and it won’t be pretty.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

Are you ready for more bad news about our food supply?  In recent weeks, I have extensively covered a confluence of factors which are combining to create a global food crisis of immense size and scope.  But one thing that I haven’t written much about lately is the extraordinary drought in the western half of the United States.  According to the official U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook that was just released by the National Weather Service, nearly 50 percent of the continental United States will either see drought conditions persist or intensify in the coming months.  This is really troubling news, because drought conditions are already having a dramatic impact on agricultural production.

At this point, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is telling us that just 32 percent of all winter wheat in the U.S. has either a “good” or an “excellent” rating…

Only 32 percent of the winter wheat crop in the United States received a “good” or “excellent” rating from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), new reports show.

While this represents a slight increase of two points compared to a week ago, the figure is far behind 2021’s 53 percent rating, illustrating just how bad America’s wheat crop is due to persistent drought conditions in many areas.

The reason why so much of our winter wheat is in such poor shape is because of the drought.

It just stretches on month after month, and many farmers in the western half of the country are beyond frustrated with the lack of moisture.

Of course a lack of moisture also creates ideal conditions for wildfires.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, so far this year a total of 834,238 acres have burned in the United States.

Last year at this time, only 444,636 acres had burned.

And as I discussed yesterday, a lot of what has been burned within the past few days has been farmland.

Meanwhile, another “pestilence” has broken out on the other side of the globe.  According to an Australian news source, an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis has already spread to more than 60 facilities that raise pigs…

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is reminding producers to remain vigilant as more than 60 piggeries across four states battle Japanese encephalitis (JEV) outbreaks.

And it turns out that three humans have died after contracting the disease…

Already this year, three people have died from the virus, and there are more than 60 piggeries with infected herds across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.

That isn’t good.

As I have been covering in recent weeks, there are so many reasons why global food production will be way below expectations this year.

This will cause a tremendous shift in the equilibrium between supply and demand, and food prices will go way up.  In fact, the World Bank is projecting that “there will be a staggering 37 percent rise in food costs”…

The US-based World Bank, which provides loans and grants to low and middle-income countries for capital projects, calculates there will be a staggering 37 percent rise in food costs. It said the effect will be ‘magnified for the poor’ who will have to ‘eat less’ and will be left with little money for anything else.

Needless to say, millions of people in the poorest countries of the world won’t have enough to eat at all.

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall recently warned that “a worldwide famine” is on the way, and he is not exaggerating one bit.

In other nations that are not so poor, extreme food inflation will cause a dramatic change in the standard of living.  For example, just consider what is already happening in Argentina…

Welcome to Argentina, where high, nearly uncontrollable inflation—now at an estimated 55.1% over the past year—is as natural as the country’s juicy sirloins and sensual tango shows.

With the rest of the world experiencing higher inflation—byproduct of supply chain crunches, heavy stimulus spending and the war in Ukraine —Argentina offers something of a window to those who fret about just how high inflation will go and what it will mean to their everyday lives.

Thankfully, things are not quite that bad here in the United States just yet, but in certain categories we are seeing price increases that are wildly out of control…

Amid rising inflation, people in the United States are finding that buying a used car is not necessarily a sure way to cut costs, as used car prices have risen 30.4% over the last year.

I feel really bad for anyone that needs to buy a vehicle right now.

This is about the worst time ever to be doing that.

Overall, the inflation nightmare that we are currently enduring is already worse than anything that America went through during the Jimmy Carter era.

But most Americans don’t really grasp the full horror of what is unfolding all around us, because most of the talking heads on television are telling them that everything is going to be just fine.

No, everything is not going to be just fine.

In fact, it won’t be too long before things start getting really, really bad in this country.

But even though conditions are rapidly deteriorating all around us, I am not suggesting that you should wallow in despair.

It is when times are the darkest that the greatest heroes are needed.

Personally, there is no other time in human history that I would have rather lived than right now.

One of the reasons why I strongly encourage my readers to prepare for the chaotic times that are coming is because I want them to thrive during those times.

We were all put here for a reason, and you have a purpose that nobody but you can fulfill.

So do not get depressed that everything seems to be collapsing all around us.

Yes, things will be extremely challenging in the years ahead, but it can also be a time when you come alive like never before as you embrace everything that you were created to be.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

Everyone can see that something really strange appears to be happening, and now even Tucker Carlson is talking about it on television.  For months, unusual fires have been erupting at important food industry facilities all over America.  Last Thursday, I put together a list of 16 major fires that have occurred just since the start of the year.  Unfortunately, since I wrote that article a couple more “mysterious incidents” have taken place.  Very early on Saturday, firefighters were called out to battle a fire at a General Mills facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa…

An early morning fire at General Mills led first responders to the roof of the company to attack the flames from above. The call came in around 3:45am on Saturday at the plant located at 4800 Edgewood Road SW. First responders discovered hot spots where a vent stack makes contact with the roof.

Steam and smoke were already visible. Crews reached the roof and confirmed the location of the fire below them with the help of thermal imaging. Firefighters removed roofing material and found the flames working their way through the ceiling and traveling with the vent stack.

Oddly, this fire erupted less than 48 hours after a plane crashed at a General Mills facility in Covington, Georgia…

Investigators spent Friday at the General Mills plant in Covington combing through the wreckage of a deadly plane crash that happened the previous evening.

A twin-engine Cessna crashed into several semi trailers at remote part of the cereal plant on Thursday evening killing two people, the Covington Police Department said.

Is it just a “coincidence” that there were two major disasters at General Mills facilities within 48 hours of one another?

That is what some would have us believe.

Of course there have been a whole bunch of other “coincidences” happening lately too.

Less than a week ago, the headquarters of Azure Standard burned to the ground in a massive fire.  CEO David Stelzer is admitting that all Azure Market liquid products will be out of stock for the foreseeable future as a result…

He also added, “For our customers, three primary product groups are affected due to the destroyed automated liquid pour facility, fruit packing facilities and carob products facilities.” He continued, “Because of this, we will experience out-of-stock status for Azure Market oils, honey and vinegars – basically any Azure Market liquid product – as well as our carob products for the short term. We are not yet at fruit harvest, so no immediate impact will be experienced from the loss of our fruit packing facility. None of the products we distribute for our vendors will be affected,” he concluded.

And just a few days before that, a “four-alarm fire” destroyed a very important food processing facility in Salinas, California…

Authorities Thursday lifted all evacuation and shelter-in-place orders in an area of Salinas where a four-alarm fire sparked a day earlier at a food processing plant, prompting fears of a possible explosion and hazardous plume of ammonia, city officials said.

The fire was initially reported at about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Taylor Farms processing facility on Abbott Street and prompted an order early Thursday for evacuations affecting an estimated 2,700 people and a shelter-in-place order affecting an estimated 35,000 people.

If these were isolated incidents, perhaps we never would have even taken notice of them.

But they aren’t isolated incidents.

In fact, fires have been mysteriously erupting at America’s food processing facilities for many months.

This is absolutely not coincidental. pic.twitter.com/6pJsOEGIjd

— Kween JosieNN+ (@KweenJosie) April 23, 2022

Strangely, the latest fires happened during the same week that the FBI admitted that America’s farmers are now being specifically targeted by ransomware attacks…

A new warning right now for local farmers.

The FBI says you need to be on alert for ransomware attacks. As KDKA money editor Jon Delano explains, those attacks on farmers could impact the rest of us at the grocery store.

Whether it’s a dairy or poultry farm, a cattle farm, or a farm that grows grain, farming is a key part of Pennsylvania’s economy.

Could there be some relation between these two stories?

For now, the FBI is not saying.

And most of the talking heads on television are assuring us that there is nothing to be concerned about and that everything will be just fine.

Meanwhile, more fires continue to make the news.

On Sunday, it was being reported that “nearly a dozen wildfires” had just roared through key agricultural areas of Nebraska…

Sunday was far from a day of rest for firefighters across much of the state, as they continued to mop up nearly a dozen wildfires and remained alert for more.

By Sunday morning, the Road 702 Fire in the Cambridge area covered 50,000 acres — a much larger area than the 33,000 acres burned in the April 7-9 fire in Gosper and Furnas counties. A management team from the Rocky Mountain area took command of the battle at 7 a.m. Sunday morning.

And a total of 20 wildfires are ripping across New Mexico as I write this article…

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed emergency declarations as 20 wildfires continued to burn Sunday in nearly half of the state’s drought-stricken 33 counties.

I don’t know how all of the things that I have discussed in this article tie together.

But what I do know is that all of them will have an impact on our food supply.

As I have discussed previously, UN officials are warning that we are heading into the worst global food crisis since World War II.

Do you remember when millions of people died of starvation in the 1980s and there were endless appeals on television asking us to give to the hungry?

Well, authorities are telling us that what is coming is going to be much worse than that.

A “perfect storm” of factors is combining to create the greatest stress on global food supplies that we have seen in modern times.

But most of the talking heads on television want you to believe that everything is under control and that better times are just around the corner.

You can believe them if you want, but my recommendation is to get prepared for this crisis while you still can.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

Can anyone explain why absolutely massive fires just keep erupting again and again at critical facilities all over America?  The tragic destruction by fire of the headquarters of Azure Standard in Oregon shocked millions of people, and since that news broke quite a few readers have been reaching out to me about the long string of unusual blazes that we have been witnessing from coast to coast in recent months.  I decided to look into this phenomenon for myself, and I am sharing what I have discovered so far in this article.  Dr. Benjamin Braddock and others had already been digging into this, and their research proved quite valuable as I began my investigation.  Some of the incidents that people have reported I was not able to independently verify, and others I felt were too minor to be put on this list.  With all that being said, the following is a list of 16 major fires that have occurred at key food industry facilities in the U.S. since the start of 2022…

#1 Salinas, California

As the smoke settles near Taylor Farms, questions remain on the future of the business and the roughly 1,000 people employed at the Abbott Street facility.

There is little to nothing left of the processing facility due to fire and smoke damages caused by Wednesday night’s blaze, according to Deputy Fire Chief Sam Klemek.

“About 85% to 95% of the building is a total loss,” he said.

#2 Hermiston, Oregon

Multiple workers are hospitalized following an explosion at a food processing facility that has nearby residents on alert for possible evacuation.

The explosion occurred Tuesday evening at Shearer’s Foods in Hermiston, a city in agriculturally rich eastern Oregon. No deaths have been reported from the blast, but the extent of the damage to the plant and its future were not clear. City officials are concerned what the fire could mean for the community and local economy.

#3 Conway, New Hampshire

Neighbors banded together to support crews as they battled a fire in Conway for about 16 hours Monday night.

More than 12 departments and agencies worked together to put out the fire at East Conway Beef and Pork.

#4 San Juan, Texas

On March 31, 2022, a structure fire significantly damaged a large portion of the largest fresh onion packing facilities in South Texas.

#5 Jonesboro, Arkansas

“The situation at our Jonesboro factory is under control and we are looking into the cause of the fire,” a Nestle spokesperson said. “Thankfully, no employees were injured and all are safe. We appreciate the quick response of the Jonesboro Fire Department and emergency response teams. The factory will remain closed as we assess the damage and return the factory to full operation. We plan to continue to support our employees financially during this time.”

Nestle opened the plant in 2002 and in December 2020 the company unveiled plans to invest more than $100 million to expand the frozen foods plant, including the addition of 90,000 square feet and a new production line for Hot Pockets frozen sandwiches. In addition to Hot Pockets, Nestle makes products under the Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, DiGiorno, Tombstone and Sweet Earth brands at the plant.

#6 Mauston, Wisconsin

A portion of Mauston’s Wisconsin River Meats burnt down during an overnight fire Feb. 2-3, with the cause of the fire still under investigation.

“The old portion of the plant is a total loss,” Wisconsin River Meats said in a Facebook post about the fire. “We humbly ask that you be patient and please give us some time to sort out the cause of the fire and for us to transition some of our business and invoicing to our warehouse.”

#7 Fayetteville, Illinois

Operating from what company officials referred to as the command center at Deli Star Corp.’s St. Louis Innovation Center, the Siegel family-led operations and executive team have spent the week scrambling to fulfill customers’ orders and work with local officials investigating a Jan. 11 fire that destroyed its 75,000-square-foot processing plant in Fayetteville, about 40 miles southeast of them.

#8 Belfast, Maine

Fire crews from several towns have been battling a fire at the Penobscot McCrum potato processing plant in Belfast. Crews were called to the scene at 28 Pierce Street around 3:30 a.m., according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss.

#9 Leoti, Kansas

A fire at a fertilizer company in western Kansas prompted evacuations Tuesday afternoon because hazardous materials were involved, officials said.

The Ford County Regional Hazardous Materials Team deployed to Leoti for the fire and was fighting the blaze and removing hazardous material, Wichita County Clerk Lynda Goodrich said.

#10 Claypool, Indiana

Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) said on Wednesday a fire had broken out in a bag house at its Claypool, Indiana, soybean processing and biodiesel plant on Tuesday and the affected systems had been suspended.

No employees were injured and the fire was put out by 9:15 p.m. central time on Tuesday, LDC said in a statement. LDC’s website said soybean deliveries were suspended at the plant on Wednesday. LDC says Claypool is the largest fully integrated soybean processing and biodiesel plant in the United States.

#11 Winston-Salem, Carolina

An uncontrolled fire at a fertilizer plant in North Carolina forced thousands of people to evacuate as firefighters stood back Tuesday because of the danger of a large explosion.

Authorities drove through neighborhoods and knocked on doors asking residents to leave within a one-mile radius (1.6 km) of the Winston Weaver Company fertilizer plant on the north side of Winston-Salem, where the fire started Monday night. Overnight, bright orange flames and thick plumes of smoke could be seen shooting into the sky. No injuries were reported.

#12 Sunnyside, Washington

A smoldering pile of sulfur quickly became a raging chemical fire just after 1 p.m. Monday at Nutrien Ag Solutions, 1101 Midvale Road, Sunnyside Fire Chief Ken Anderson said.

The fire destroyed one storage building on the southeast corner of the fertilizer storage facility in the Port of Sunnyside and damaged others, but adjacent Nutrien buildings and storage tanks containing hazardous chemicals were spared, Anderson said Monday evening.

#13 Lecompte, Louisiana

A fire started at the Cargill-Nutrena feed mill in Lecompte, LA in the early hours of Thursday morning and burned for 12 hours, coverage by local television news station KALB said. An explosion reportedly occurred as firefighters were working the scene.

#14 Maricopa, Arizona

It’s a long road to recovery for Maricopa Food Pantry after a fire destroyed around 50,000 lb of food. The fire happened just 15 minutes after their food bank closed on Monday morning. Smoke was still coming from the rubble 24 hours later. “It had to be 40-50 feet in the air, just pure black smoke. It engulfed the entire neighborhood,” said Maricopa Food Pantry President Mike Connelly. “The heat we could feel down at the corner.”

#15 Dufur, Oregon

The headquarters of Azure Standard, the nation’s premier independent distributor of organic and healthy food, was destroyed by fire overnight. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. The loss of the facility and the impact on companywide operations is being assessed and expected to be limited and temporary. No other Azure Standard facilities were affected.

#16 Planfield, Indiana

Investigators from the ATF’s National Response Team began its on-scene investigation on Friday into the massive fire at a Walmart facility in Plainfield.

The team, led by Supervisor Christopher Forkner, is working with the Plainfield Fire Territory, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Plainfield Police Department, according to a press release. ATF special agents from the Indianapolis Offices of the Columbus Field Division will also be assisting.

Of course it is not unusual for there to be fires at food industry facilities, and fire departments are accustomed to responding to such fires and putting them out.

But in many of these cases, we are talking about absolutely uncontrollable fires that seemed to erupt very suddenly.

And in many of these cases the firefighters that responded were not able to save the structures because the fires were so enormous.

Needless to say, the collective loss of all of these facilities will make the coming food shortages that I have extensively written about quite a bit worse.

If you come across more reports that are similar to the ones in this list, please feel free to send them my way.

I am going to continue to dig into this mystery, and the American people certainly deserve some answers.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

I don’t think that people realize how severe this crisis will eventually become.  Never before in modern history have we seen global food production being hit by so many major problems all at once.  It truly is a “perfect storm”, and hundreds of millions of people are going to deeply suffer as a result.  I would very much encourage you to share this article with as many people as you can, because everyone needs this information.  As I discussed yesterday, things may be somewhat bad right now, but conditions will eventually get much worse as the months roll along.

I am going to share a lot of statistics in this article, and each number is important.

But ultimately it is the collective impact of all of these factors together that is really going to hammer us.

Let me start by talking about rice.  According to Bloomberg, the global fertilizer crisis is going to result in a loss of production worldwide that is the equivalent of enough food to feed “500 million people”…

From India to Vietnam and the Philippines, prices of crop nutrients crucial to boosting food production have doubled or tripled in the past year alone. Lower fertilizer use may mean a smaller crop. The International Rice Research Institute predicts that yields could drop 10% in the next season, translating to a loss of 36 million tons of rice, or the equivalent of feeding 500 million people.

We don’t eat that much rice in the western world, but in Asia it is a core staple of their diets.

How will all of that food be replaced?

Well, they could eat more wheat, but there is going to be a lot less wheat produced in 2022 as well.  In fact, one agricultural commodity expert is warning that the war in Ukraine alone could mean that “between 19 million and 34 million tons of export production could disappear this year”…

Globally, there are six breadbaskets that together supply roughly 60 to 70 percent of global agricultural commodities. The Ukraine–Russia region is responsible for roughly 30 percent of global exports of wheat and 65 percent of sunflower, in a context where those markets are increasingly tight and interconnected—so a slight disruption in supply creates some impact on price.

Of course, we don’t know what the length and scale of this conflict will be. We ran some scenarios, and from our perspective, between 19 million and 34 million tons of export production could disappear this year. If we fast-forward to 2023, the figure could be between ten million and 43 million tons. To translate, that represents caloric intake for 60 million to 150 million people.

I don’t know about you, but I regularly eat a lot of things that contain wheat, and so do hundreds of millions of others.

So this is going to be a huge issue.

And we are already seeing wheat prices go completely insane.  From early March to early April, the price of wheat jumped almost 20 percent…

Global food prices rose to their highest-ever level in March, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported April 8, with wheat prices up nearly 20% from a month earlier.

Unfortunately, the outlook for the months ahead is very troubling due to bizarre weather patterns all over the planet.

Here in the United States, much of our winter wheat has been devastated by persistent drought…

According to the USDA, 69 percent of total U.S. winter-wheat production is in an area experiencing drought, including hard-red winter, soft-red winter and soft white. That includes 82 percent of the production area in Kansas, 82 percent in Colorado, 99 percent in Texas and 99 percent in Montana.

On the other side of the globe, parts of northern Africa are experiencing their “worst drought in decades”…

Morocco’s agriculture minister said the North African country would likely lose 53 percent of its cereals harvest after experiencing the worst drought in decades. Rainfall was 41 percent less than average this season.

So how will all of that food be replaced?

Well, I suppose that we could all eat more corn, but the outlook for corn is not good either.

Russia and Ukraine are normally two of the largest global exporters of corn, but now the war has changed everything, and there have been very serious planting delays here in the United States…

Chicago corn was largely unchanged on Wednesday and near a decade-high scaled in the previous session, as traders fretted over planting delays in the United States and a lack of supplies from war-torn Ukraine.

On top of everything else, there will be a lot less eggs produced this year, there will be a lot less chicken meat produced this year and there will be a lot less turkey meat produced this year because of the nightmarish bird flu pandemic which just keeps getting worse.

According to NPR, the total death toll has now risen to “more than 28 million”…

More than 28 million poultry birds, like chickens and turkeys, have been lost in the U.S. because of a new bird flu. The virus either made the birds sick or they were culled to prevent its spread. Unlike previous bird flus, this one is also affecting a lot of wild birds. As NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce explains, that could keep the virus in circulation for a long time.

The vast majority of the time, most of us never even think about where our food comes from.

But that needs to change, because food production systems are collapsing all over the world.

Before I end this article, I wanted to share the tragic news that the headquarters of Azure Standard just burned to the ground…

Dear friends, the headquarters of Azure Standard, the nation’s premier independent distributor of organic and healthy food, was destroyed by fire overnight. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. The loss of the facility and the impact on company-wide operations is being assessed and expected to be limited and temporary. No other Azure Standard facilities were affected.

I personally know people that get food from Azure Standard, and many of my readers regularly shop with them.

Let us hope that authorities can discover how the fire was caused.

Until we know more, I will refrain from saying too much about what happened.

For years, we have been warned that a global food crisis was coming, and now it has officially arrived.

And with each passing day, more things are happening which threaten to make it even worse.

For now we are still eating food that has already been produced.  The real problem will come in the months ahead when total global production of food drops well below total global demand for food.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

At this moment, food prices all over America are at incredibly low levels.  I know what many of you must be thinking.  You must be thinking that I have lost my mind, because food prices have been rising at a very rapid rate all over the country.  But when I say that food prices are at “incredibly low levels”, I am not comparing them to where they were in the past.  Rather, I am comparing current prices to where they will be in the future.  Yes, things are bad now, but food prices will be much higher a year or two from now.

The global fertilizer crisis certainly isn’t going anywhere.  If anything, it is only going to intensify.

The same thing could be said about the war in Ukraine.  Peace talks are absolutely dead, and so it looks like fighting between two of the most critical breadbaskets in the world will continue for months to come.

Meanwhile, the bird flu pandemic continues to wipe out millions of chickens and turkeys all over the globe.

We have never seen a “perfect storm” quite like this, but of course some of the factors that will be driving up food prices are entirely self-inflicted.

For example, the Chinese government didn’t need to lock down nearly 400 million people in a desperate attempt to prevent the spread of COVID.  The past two years have provided ample evidence that such lockdowns are quite foolish, but the Chinese went ahead anyway.

As a result, there are now hundreds of commercial ships waiting impatiently off the coast of Shanghai.

MAP: Commercial ships waiting offshore after Shanghai strict lockdown pic.twitter.com/m0qST4v92Y

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 19, 2022

Those are giant cargo ships that bring stuff across the Pacific Ocean to us.

If the Chinese don’t loosen up, many of our store shelves will become quite empty in the months ahead.

And it isn’t just commercial ships that are sitting idle…

Shanghai is one of the largest manufacturing centers in China, with heavy concentrations of automotive and electronics suppliers. It is home to the largest container port in the world and a major airport that serves inbound and outbound air cargo. Exports produced in Shanghai account for 7.2% of China’s total volume and about 20% of China’s export container throughput moves through the port there, according to the BBVA report.

Most warehouses and plants are closed, nine out of 10 trucks are sidelined, the port and airport have limited function, shipping units are stranded in the wrong places, and freight is piling up.

Needless to say, many of our major retailers simply could not operate without the goods that they import from China.

So we better hope that this potential nightmare gets resolved very soon.

Here in the United States, food prices have been moving higher for months.  Just check out these numbers…

The average price of butter grew 11.9% in the last year. Meat has been especially affected by supply chain issues, with 100% meat frankfurters jumping 35.2% since March of 2021 to an average price of $5.18 per pound. Ground chuck, pork chops, and whole chicken showed year-over-year price increases of 11.3%, 15%, and 11.7%, respectively.

Those figures may look bad to you, but the truth is that they only represent the very early chapters of this crisis.

Things are going to get much worse, and here in April anecdotal reports seem to indicate that food price increases seem to be accelerating.

Earlier today, my attention was drawn to a thread on a popular Internet forum where people were discussing recent price increases that they had seen at their local stores.  The following are a few examples that I pulled out of that thread…

-“$10. for 1 lb. Bacon”

-“5.19 for one pound of land o lakes butter”

-“a 34 oz can of coffee was $6.99 now is $9.99”

-“$1.09 for a single avocado”

-“$2.31 for a head of iceberg lettuce”

-“I shop for my elderly parents they buy Butterscotch Krimpets every week. Were 2.49 a box now 4.49.”

-“I saw 15.99 per pound for ribeye steak at a grocery store in northeast Tennessee.”

-“Paid $12.95 for a pack of raw chicken thighs a few days ago. Normally they are $3.00 – $4.00”

And thanks to the horrifying bird flu pandemic which is sweeping the nation, the price of eggs is going completely nuts…

The losses to egg-laying flocks have led to producers desperately racing to meet market demands for eggs and egg products, with egg prices increasing as a result. The average price of a dozen eggs is now close to $3.00, up from $1.60 at the beginning of the year, according to the USDA’s national egg report.

If you think that these prices are wild, just wait until they double from their current levels.

All over the world, a great battle for food resources has begun.  The Chinese saw this coming in advance, and so they have been engaged in the largest stockpiling program that any of us have ever seen.  I wrote about this back in December, but back then most people didn’t understand the true significance of that article.

At that time, the amount of food that the Chinese had already accumulated was already extremely impressive…

Less than 20% of the world’s population has managed to stockpile more than half of the globe’s maize and other grains, leading to steep price increases across the planet and dropping more countries into famine.

The hoarding is taking place in China.

Has the U.S. been doing something similar?

Of course not.

When things get really bad in this country, you will be on your own.

So I hope that you have been preparing for that.

Since the war in Ukraine started, nation after nation has started to implement export restrictions, and a global scramble for agricultural commodities has steadily pushed up prices.

Nobody wants to be caught empty-handed when the music stops, and so there is a race to secure precious supplies while it is still possible to do so.

Sadly, the poorest parts of the world will end up suffering the most as the wealthy countries grab what they can.  The dramatic spike that we will soon see in global hunger will be absolutely heartbreaking.

But nobody can say that we weren’t warned in advance.  This sort of collapse has been coming for a long time, and now it has arrived.

I would encourage you to stockpile food at these “relatively low prices” while you have the opportunity to do so, because they are only going to go higher from here.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

I think that the phrase “out of touch with reality” doesn’t even come close to describing what we are witnessing here.  We all knew that the Biden administration was completely out of touch with what is going on in Real America, but it appears that things are even worse than we thought.  Right now, inflation is the number one political issue in the entire country, and the persistent shortages that we have been experiencing are right up there as well.  But the Biden administration apparently has other priorities.

The Biden administration has just released the “Economic Report Of The President” for 2022, and you can find it on the official White House website right here.  But unless you are a glutton for punishment, I would strongly advise against reading the entire thing, because it is dreadfully boring.

Thankfully, there are others that have already gone through the entire document for us, and one eagle-eyed researcher discovered that the word “gender” is used 40 more times than the word “inflation” is used in the report, and the word “inequality” is actually used more than either one of them…

President Joe Biden released his annual Economic Report on Thursday where he mentioned the word “gender” significantly more than “inflation” as the country faces the highest prices in over 40 years.

Biden used the word “gender” 127 in his economic plan, while he mentioned “inflation” just 87 times. Meanwhile, the report mentioned “inequality” 147 times and “emissions” nearly 100 times.

Obviously, Biden administration officials are far more concerned about “social justice issues” than they are about our growing economic problems.

As for Biden himself, he is so incoherent at this point that a guy in a giant bunny suit scares the living daylights out of him.

If you are expecting Biden and his minions to save the day, you are going to be waiting for a really long time.

Meanwhile, prices just continue to rise.  On Monday, the price of corn reached the highest level in almost a decade…

The surging price of corn hit another milestone on Monday morning as the cost of global commodities continues to push higher.

The contracts for July corn futures were trading above $8 per bushel on Monday, the highest level since September 2012. The contracts were trading near $6 per bushel at the start of the year.

And the price of natural gas has surged to a level that we haven’t seen since just before the financial crisis of 2008…

U.S. natural gas prices hit the highest level since 2008, with the U.S. benchmark Henry Hub edging close to $8 per million British Thermal Units on Monday afternoon.

The last major Henry Hub price spikes in 2008 and 2006 were partly due to hurricane activity in the Gulf of Mexico, the Epoch Times reports. Prices in 2008 peaked at $13.32 per million on July 3rd.

As I pointed out the other day, the inflation crisis that we are experiencing now is already worse than anything that we went through during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Even more frightening is the fact that this is just the beginning.

In particular, food prices will eventually go much higher than they are now.  I visited a local supermarket earlier today, and I was astounded by all of the price changes.  What we are witnessing is already unprecedented, but I believe that there are several factors that will actually accelerate the increase in food prices in the months ahead.

One of those factors is the horrific bird flu pandemic that has erupted inside the United States.  According to an expert that was interviewed by the Washington Post, this pandemic is spreading at a much faster pace than the outbreak that caused so much chaos back in 2015…

WaPo spoke to Gro Intelligence (ag data experts) senior research analyst Grady Ferguson who tracked the last outbreak in 2015, saying this one could be more disruptive to the poultry and egg markets.

Ferguson said that 66 days into the outbreak, 1.3% of all US chickens had been affected, and 6% of the US turkey flock. In 2015, he said, only .02% of total chickens were affected at this same time. The number rose to 2.5% of chickens infected at the outbreak’s peak, and more than 50 million were culled.

So what will happen if we get six months down the road and the total death toll for chickens and turkeys reaches 100 million?

What do you think that will mean for our food supply?

As I have been documenting for months, we were already heading for a major global food crisis even without the bird flu and even without the war in Ukraine.

Now both of those factors are making things a whole lot worse.

And instead of trying to find a way to end the war, our leaders continue to talk like they want to escalate matters.  In fact, U.S. Senator Chris Coons is openly calling for U.S. troops to be sent into Ukraine…

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) signaled that he wants the US to send troops into Ukraine to fight Russia in an interview on Sunday. When pressed about the issue, Coons said Russian President Vladimir Putin “will only stop when we stop him.”

Coons was asked on CBS News’s Face the Nation about comments he made last week in an address to the University of Michigan. In the speech, Coons said the Biden administration and Congress should “come to a common position about when we are willing to go the next step and to send not just arms but troops to the aid in defense of Ukraine … If the answer is never, then we are inviting another level of escalation in brutality by Putin.”

That is complete and utter insanity.

But Coons and Biden are apparently really good friends, and many other top Democrats are also pushing for Biden to do more to help defend Ukraine.

I still remember the “old days” when many on the left were actually “anti-war”.

I don’t know what happened, but these days the biggest warmongers of all seem to be on the left.

Of course there are many warmongers on the right as well.  It is almost as if something is in the water in Washington.  I have never seen so many of our leaders act as if they have completely lost their minds.

Needless to say, similar things could be said for society as a whole.  I really like how Mike Adams made this point in one of his recent articles…

Humanity is intoxicated to the point of suicidal collapse.

Note the word root “toxic” found in the word “intoxicated.” It doesn’t just refer to consuming alcohol, but to a long list of behaviors, substances and desires that turn off rational thought and thrust people into bad decision making.

If it appears to you that the whole world is going crazy, that is because it really is going crazy.

Global events are starting to spiral out of control, and a whole lot of people out there are having a really hard time coping with it all.

Unfortunately, global events will continue to become more intense in the months ahead, and so will the emotional breakdowns.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.

A confluence of circumstances has come together to create a “perfect storm” for global food production, and now that “perfect storm” is about to get even worse.  For months I warned that this crisis was coming, and in recent weeks I have been documenting how dire conditions have already become all over the globe.  The head of the UN World Food Program is warning that this is going to be the worst worldwide food crisis since World War II, and even Joe Biden is admitting that the approaching food shortages “are going to be real”.  Unfortunately, there have been some new developments which threaten to significantly escalate things.

In recent days, the number of newly confirmed COVID cases in China has soared to record highs, and Chinese authorities have responded to this with unprecedented lockdowns.

As a result, almost 400 million Chinese are now “under full or partial lockdown”…

Nearly 400 million people across 45 cities in China are under full or partial lockdown as part of China’s strict zero-Covid policy. Together they represent 40%, or $7.2 trillion, of annual gross domestic product for the world’s second-largest economy, according to data from Nomura Holdings.

Analysts are ringing warning bells, but say investors aren’t properly assessing how serious the global economic fallout might be from these prolonged isolation orders.

Chinese lockdowns are a lot more brutal than lockdowns in the western world.

By now, you have probably seen video footage of Shanghai residents literally screaming from their apartment windows.

I have never seen anything like that before, and these lockdowns will continue as long as COVID keeps spreading.

To put this in perspective, the number of people that are currently locked down in China is greater than the total population of the United States.

Needless to say, these lockdowns are bringing the Chinese economy to a grinding halt, and that is going to affect the entire planet.  At the Port of Shanghai, activity “is essentially at a standstill”…

The Port of Shanghai, which handled over 20% of Chinese freight traffic in 2021, is essentially at a standstill. Food supplies stuck in shipping containers without access to refrigeration are rotting.

This is an enormous problem for those of us in the western world, because our stores are normally filled with goods that have been made in China.

And this even extends to our food supply.  For example, we send giant mountains of apples to China where they are processed and sent back to us as apple juice.

We need to hope that the lockdowns in China end soon, because if that does not happen it will likely create tremendous shortages all over the planet.

Meanwhile, the fertilizer crisis in the United States is about to get even worse.

Previously, I have written about how the skyrocketing cost of fertilizer is going to cause massive problems for many U.S. farmers, and now many of those farmers may not be able to get the fertilizer that they need at all due to “railroad-mandated shipping reductions”.  The following comes directly from a notice released by CF Industries…

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CF), a leading global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products, today informed customers it serves by Union Pacific rail lines that railroad-mandated shipping reductions would result in nitrogen fertilizer shipment delays during the spring application season and that it would be unable to accept new rail sales involving Union Pacific for the foreseeable future. The Company understands that it is one of only 30 companies to face these restrictions.

CF Industries ships to customers via Union Pacific rail lines primarily from its Donaldsonville Complex in Louisiana and its Port Neal Complex in Iowa. The rail lines serve key agricultural areas such as Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and California. Products that will be affected include nitrogen fertilizers such as urea and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) as well as diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), an emissions control product required for diesel trucks. CF Industries is the largest producer of urea, UAN and DEF in North America, and its Donaldsonville Complex is the largest single production facility for the products in North America.

I was astounded to hear that 30 different companies will be affected by these reductions.

Someone at Union Pacific needs to give us some straight answers about what is really going on, because the CEO of CF Industries says that this change “could not come at a worse time for farmers”…

“The timing of this action by Union Pacific could not come at a worse time for farmers,” said Tony Will, president and chief executive officer, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. “Not only will fertilizer be delayed by these shipping restrictions, but additional fertilizer needed to complete spring applications may be unable to reach farmers at all. By placing this arbitrary restriction on just a handful of shippers, Union Pacific is jeopardizing farmers’ harvests and increasing the cost of food for consumers.”

Of course this comes in the aftermath of a disastrous winter wheat harvest in the United States, and the winter wheat harvest over in China is being called the worst in history.

So we desperately need a really good growing season in the months ahead, and now that is being jeopardized by more supply chain issues.

At the same time, the new bird flu pandemic in the U.S. just continues to intensify.

On Friday, we learned that Idaho has become the 27th U.S. state to have confirmed cases at a commercial facility…

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced yet another outbreak, this one in two flocks in Idaho, making that the 27th state in which the virus has been found since February.

According to the USDA, the price of a dozen eggs in November hovered around $1. Right now, that price is $2.95 and rising.

The cost of eggs has already gone completely nuts, and it is only going to go higher.

If you don’t eat eggs or anything that contains eggs, then this will not affect you.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of us will be affected by this, and we are being warned that this pandemic could get a lot worse in the months ahead.

Of course the cost of chicken meat and the cost of turkey meat will both continue to soar as well.  In fact, one of my readers just wrote to let me know that the price of chicken breasts at his local store shot up 43 percent…

I thought I would give you a quick update on Inflation/Food Shortages.

I just got back from The Dollar General Store in Holden, MO. I was going to buy some Tyson Chicken Breasts to stock up for the future. They went from $6.95 to $9.95. That’s a 43% jump in price!!! There was plenty of them (6 packages) but I just felt like I couldn’t afford them so I didn’t buy any.

Michael have you heard anything about shortages of Crackers??? I had to wait 4 months for a certain type of Cracker to get restocked in The Dollar General Store. I also have been having a lot of trouble getting Saltine Crackers at our local Grocery Store. 2 weeks ago they finally had 1(!!!) box of the type I buy and I grabbed it up immediately. This week none again. Not sure what the problem is.

Gas here is $3.49. Diesel Fuel is $4.69. I feel sorry for the guys that have these big Diesel Pickups with 40 gallon fuel tanks. I have been combining shopping and errands in 1 trip plus letting my Pickup set in the driveway to conserve Gas.

A lot of the factors that are contributing to this growing global food crisis are outside of our control.

But if we could at least bring a halt to the shooting in Ukraine, that would give us a ray of hope.

Unfortunately, negotiations have totally broken down, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken just told CNN that the war could continue through the end of the year…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Washington’s European allies that the US believes the war in Ukraine could last through the end of 2022, CNN reported Friday, citing two European officials.

The report said that many Western officials have assessed there’s no short-term end in sight for the war, and public comments from US officials have reflected this. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has warned of a “protracted conflict” that he said could go on “for months or even longer.”

Ukraine and Russia usually account for approximately 30 percent of all global wheat exports, and so we desperately need that war to end.

Sadly, that isn’t going to happen.

These days, it seems as though almost everything that can go wrong for global food production is going wrong, and the stage is being set for the sort of horrific global famine that I have been relentlessly warning about.

Our leaders may be able to print money, but they can’t print food.

If you are waiting for them to wave their magic wands and conjure up a perfect solution to this crisis then I am afraid that you are going to be bitterly, bitterly disappointed.

***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com.  In addition to my new book I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including  “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned)  When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends.  Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.  I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe.  I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article.  The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.  I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.