Bloomberg
In a world where crop prices are climbing, fanning inflation fears, one crucial food staple has slumped this year in Asia -- rice.
Unlike 2008 when wheat and rice surged to the highest on record, helping spark food riots in some countries, this year they are moving in opposite directions. Wheat futures in Chicago, a global benchmark, have climbed about 30% since the end of December to the strongest in almost a decade, while rice export prices from Thailand, a regional marker, have slumped 25% to a four-year low.