Illinois

The U.S. is the world's leading exporter of corn, soybeans and wheat. The severe drought punishing the U.S.'s midsection has sent corn prices soaring, and recent expectations of worsened crop prospects in Russia because of dry weather sent world wheat prices up 19 percent, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, which keeps close tabs on volatile global prices. Spikes in the prices of staple foods have led to riots in some countries in recent years.

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