S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of information, benchmark prices and analytics for the commodities and energy markets, agreed to acquire Live Rice Index, a global provider of information and benchmark price assessments for the rice industry. Financial terms were not disclosed. Martin Fraenkel, president of S&P Global Platts: "Rice is the most important grain for human consumption worldwide, directly feeding more people than any other crop. This is an exciting time for S&P Global Platts to bring increased transparency to the global rice market, which is forecast to grow strongly over the next 30 years underpinned by robust production and consumption fundamentals. Our acquisition of LRI, a recognized authority in the rice industry, is part of our multi-year strategic investment in agriculture markets, offering our customers leading data and insight to help them make decisions with conviction."