Worsening food inflation warrants policy moves before household hardship reaches far and wide
Maize is also a large ingredient in livestock feed, particularly poultry. Given the USDA’s forecast of a decline in production, any diversion towards ethanol blending will also elevate egg and meat prices, which are already rising at double-digit clips, according to August WPI data. The government’s choice is between food security and the diversion of precious grains to fuel blending.
