STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with soaring global food prices.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: The United Nations says food prices hit a record high last month. The UN's food agency says prices of sugar, wheat and other staples have risen for seven straight months, and are likely to continue going up. Frustration over food prices has helped to fuel the protests in Tunisia and in Egypt. Prices are rising, in part, because of fear over supplies.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: In recent months, drought has hit some grain producing regions, severe rain has affected others, and the winter storm in the United States has pushed wheat futures to their highest level in almost two years.
The United Nations says food prices hit a record high last month. The UN's food agency says prices of sugar, wheat and other staples have risen for seven straight months, and are likely to continue going up. Frustration over food prices has helped fuel the protests in Tunisia and Egypt.