El Niño’s threat to major food crop yields

A U.S. government weather forecaster has warned that El Niño conditions are likely to continue into the Northern Hemisphere’s early spring of 2016, potentially roiling global crops and commodities prices
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CROPS MOST AT RISK FROM EL NIÑO

ASIA: El Niño likely to curb output of rice – Asia’s staple food. Drought
in July and August would provide floor under rice prices trading around 12% below last year’s peak. Rally could stoke inflationary fears and unrest in
region

CHINA, INDIA: Corn yields may be curbed in China as crop needs high volumes of water. India’s crop exports may drop, helping U.S. and South American suppliers sell more

WET DRY

LATIN AMERICA: Rains in next six months should benefit water-stressed coffee plantations, but would also hurt quality of harvested beans by making them more bitter

Sugar cane would also benefit from wet weather, but heavy rainfall could lower cane’s content of sucrose

INDIA: Soybean production would take hit in Asia’s second- largest producer of oilseed if western and central regions suffer drought. This could prompt India to import more palm oil, which would further raise prices for it

Australia: Yields for Australian wheat, which comprises 14% of world’s exports, could fall as much as 50% due to dry weather, according to National Australia Bank
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Sources: National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center. Wire agencies

Picture: Getty Images, AP

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