Rising food prices pose threat

Citing dwindling stocks and only small production increases for the majority of crops, a new United Nations report released yesterday said world food prices are likely to remain high for the rest of this year and into 2012.

The biannual Food Outlook published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that the next few months will be critical in determining how the major crops will fare this year.

“The general situation for agricultural crops and food commodities is tight with world prices at stubbornly high levels, posing a threat to many low-income food deficit countries,” according to David Hallam, Director of FAO’s Markets and Trade Division.

Macka Takes 'Cow Foot' To Canada

Dancehall fans in Toronto, Canada, will get a chance to 'soak up' their portion of Macka Diamond's Cow Foot when she introduces the track to them tonight at the Home Nite Club. There will also be feature performances by Mr Lex and Ward 21. Macka is also booked to perform in Edmonton and Vancouver tomorrow and Sunday respectively, where the promoter expects favourable support.

On her return to Jamaica, Macka looks forward to hanging with fans at the weekly social interactive Cow Foot-inspired series of events, namely, Cow Foot Fridays held at Comfort Zone in Christian Penn, Portmore; Footing (Foot-In) Mondays held in Waltham Park, Kingston; Cow Foot Sundays held off Spanish Town Road and Mi Foot Thursday in Old Harbour.

IDB warns of impact of rising food prices on region

WASHINGTON, United States, Monday May 2, 2011 – Rising international food prices could trigger an acceleration of inflation in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean this year, highlighting the need for policies to protect the urban poor, according to a new study by Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

And it warned that the urban poor that do not have access to any enhanced income from self-grown products are most at risk from the food price shock.

Also expected to be hard hit by higher international food prices are net food importers with a greater share of spending concentrated on tradable foodstuffs and with little room to let their currency appreciate.