Rice crops are being threatened by El Nino after grain supplies were disrupted by the war in Ukraine

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Experts are warning that rice production across South and Southeast Asia is likely to suffer with the world heading into an El Nino. Climate change is causing stronger El Ninos, which alter global weather patterns and heat up an already warming planet. Thirsty crops like rice are particularly vulnerable, especially when they are rainfed and not irrigated. Experts say this will worsen food insecurity at a time when supplies of grain and fertilizer are recovering from disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine. Global demand is soaring, while yields globally have been stagnating for decades because of climate change and limits to productivity gains.