European corn farmers are facing the prospect of having to leave crops in fields because of the energy crunch, a fresh sign of how the crisis is heightening the risk of global food inflation. The grain typically needs to be dried down after it’s collected to ensure the proper moisture content, a task that’s becoming more costly as gas prices surge. Most of the region’s harvest is collected through November, and the crop is in strong demand to vie against increasingly expensive wheat and offset shortages from Brazil. But farmers in France, the European Union’s top producer , are being told by gas suppliers to prepare for shortages, use less of the fuel and even postpone collection if possible, growers group AGPM said Wednesday. In No. 4 exporter Ukraine, the gas rally is also contributing to a slower harvest than last year. “It’s too expensive” for Ukraine’s farmers to […]