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Soybeans are expected to see the “lion’s share” of global demand growth for grain in the coming years due to increased meat demand, Jeffrey Currie, head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs, told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Food Security conference in London, Currie said annual demand growth for soybeans is expected to increase 3.5%, compared with 2.5% for corn and 1% for wheat. “Yields can’t keep up with demand anymore, we’ll have to expand acreage,” said Currie. Demand for grains used for animal feed will drive growing grain demand and soybeans are a key source of protein for meat production, said Currie.

India may import a total of two million metric tons of rice over the next 12 months in phases to meet a possible shortfall after a drought. The imports will start only if a senior group of ministers approves the proposal, put forth by the food ministry, at a meeting scheduled Nov. 12, according to a food ministry document seen by Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday.

The high harvest results of grains in the current year and continuation of the tendency of the decrease of sale prices of agricultural products became the factors, hindering inflation development in September, declared Bogdan Danilishin, the Minister of Economics of Ukraine.

Russia Monday began grain intervention purchases, the agriculture ministry said. Trading is being carried out by state-owned United Grain Company. The first trading session resulted in the purchase of 5,400 metric tons of wheat from a farmer at RUB3,300 ($113.6) a ton, which is considered to be a good market price, the ministry said.