"The severe deterioration of maize crop prospects in the US following extensive droughtdamage pushed up maize prices by almost 33% in July, " said the FAO.
The cause of death could have been the result of a fungal infection or animal damage, but because there was no obvious cause, she increasingly suspects drought and heat stress.
The federal government will spend billions repairing Sandy's damage, as it did for the South after Katrina and for the Midwest after its floods and recent drought.