Nobel UN food agency warns 2021 will be worse than 2020

[Mary Wilson]

By EDITH M. LEDERER
yesterday

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the World Food Program says the Nobel Peace Prize has given the U.N. agency a spotlight and megaphone to warn world leaders that next year is going to be worse than this year, and without billions of dollars “we are going to have famines of biblical proportions in 2021.”

... Beasley recalled his warning to the U.N. Security Council in April that as the world was dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, it was also “on the brink of a hunger pandemic” that could lead to “multiple famines of biblical proportions” within a few months if immediate action wasn’t taken.

“We were able to avert it in 2020 ... because the world leaders responded with money, stimulus packages, deferral of debt,” he said.

Now, Beasley said, COVID-19 is surging again, economies are continuing to deteriorate particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and there is another wave of lockdowns and shutdowns.

But he said the money that was available in 2020 isn’t going to be available in 2021...

https://apnews.com/article/famine-d...Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=AP

 

[sharon sanders]

He said 2021 was likely to be “the worst humanitarian crisis year since the beginning of the United Nations” 75 years ago and “we’re not going to be able to fund everything ... so we have to prioritize, as I say, the icebergs in front of the Titanic.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...o-be-a-humanitarian-catastrophe-idUSKBN28E2JZ

 

[sharon sanders]

USDA reports further ignite grain rally

• By Brady Sidwell
• • Jan 17, 2021

snip

Grain markets continued to be excited this week from anticipation for and the result of USDA monthly reports that were one for the record books. This included a record drop in November to December corn production, record shortfall in Dec. 1 U.S. corn stocks versus trade expectations and record U.S. corn feeding in the first quarter. In fact, the trade missed pre-report corn stock guesses more than ever in history.

Wheat had additional support from news of Russia’s proposals to double to 50 euro per tonne starting March 1 already intended export taxes of 25 euro per tonne starting Feb. 15 on wheat to curb domestic inflation and extend such taxes through the next marketing year starting on July 1.

Egypt cancelled its wheat tender due to the surge in prices.

China buying late week also supported wheat markets despite some profit taking Friday in corn and soybeans as more rains were seen over the weekend in South America.

more....


https://www.enidnews.com/news/ag_en...cle_047c171a-57aa-11eb-9658-37c0696f9cb5.html