In the US, the worst drought in five decades caused more damage than expected to corn and soybean crops and helped push the global food price index up 6 percent in July 2012. Earlier this year, Cargill said it will close its Plainview, Texas beef processing plant due to a tight cattle supply brought on by years of drought in the region, and the USDA declared drought natural disaster areas across 597 counties in 14 states.