Panic buying, lockdowns may drive world food inflation - FAO, analysts

FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at an empty shelf with a sign announcing the rationing of toilet paper to one pack per person at a Rewe grocery store in Potsdam, Germany, March 20, 2020, as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Lockdowns and panic food buying due to the coronavirus pandemic could ignite world food inflation even though there are ample supplies of staple grains and oilseeds in key exporting nations, a senior economist at FAO and agricultural analysts said.