From the Los Angeles Times:

Japan's disaster-struck northern region, though relatively undeveloped in terms of industrial production, is one of the nation's leading areas for rice production, and Japan as a whole is one of the world's largest importers of corn and wheat.

Speculation that demand for imported grains would rise in Japan drove up corn, wheat and soybean futures in the U.S. California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross said Japan was a key export market for farmers in the state, particularly for specialty crops such as blueberries, cherries and pomegranates. She warned a gathering of grape and fruit growers Monday that the state's farmers probably would see a "disruptive" effect on their business.

There seemed to be a small silver lining in the disaster's aftermath. Oil prices fell slightly over the weekend after a long run-up in the face of unrest in the Middle East.

But concerns grew that the disaster in Japan could drive up fuel prices in the long term, in turn cooling a boom in domestic farm exports.

For more, see: Japan quake likely to affect business globally