Meanwhile, at the White House, President Bush said he is concerned about food prices but dismissed biofuels as a major factor.

President Bush: “In terms of the international situation, we are deeply concerned about food prices here at home, and we’re deeply concerned about people who don’t have food abroad. In other words, scarcity is of concern to us. Last year, we were very generous in our food donations, and this year we’ll be generous, as well.”

Earlier this year, the Bush administration announced it would scale back emergency food aid to some of the world’s poorest countries because of soaring prices.