Prices stay up as Europe battles drought

[xchrom]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/prices-stay-up-as-europe-battles-drought/story-e6freonf-1226064821029

A DROUGHT throughout much of northern Europe this spring is starting to hurt upcoming harvests and efforts to bring food prices down.

From beer hops in southern Germany's Bavaria to cereals in eastern England and fodder shortages in many areas, the lack of rain and abundance of sunshine is creating problems for farmers in much of Europe, officials say.

The Rome-based UN food agency FAO said its earlier hopes of a four to five per cent spike in wheat and barley production in the EU have been dashed.

[SpiralHawk]

1. China has drought up the wazoo, too

as does the American southwest.

Meanwhile much of the US Heartland has been blocked from planting by too much rain, and of course flooding of farm fields along the Mississippi & other big rivers.

[xchrom]

2. & monsoon is just starting in india.

they predict a normal year -- but you never know.