UN's world food price index eases in December as sugar prices decline

The United Nations' world food price index dipped in December against November levels, led lower by a drop in international sugar quotations, but still showed a robust gain year-on-year, data showed on Friday. 

The index, compiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to track the most globally traded food commodities, fell to 127.0 points last month from a slightly revised 127.6 in November. 

The November figure was previously put at 127.5. 

The December value was up 6.7 per cent from 12 months previously, yet remained 20.7 per cent below the all-time high reached in March 2022, FAO said. 

For 2024 as a whole, the index averaged 122.0, 2.1 per cent lower than the 2023 value, offsetting significant decreases in quotations for cereals and sugar with smaller increases in prices for vegetable oils, dairy and meats. 

Sugar prices led December's monthly decline, dropping 5.1 per cent month-on-month thanks to improving sugarcane crop prospects in the main producing countries to stand 10.6 per cent below its December 2023 level. 

Dairy prices declined after seven consecutive months of increases, losing 0.7 per cent from November but still posting a 17.0 per cent gain year-on-year. Vegetable oil prices dropped 0.5 per cent month-on-month, but were up 33.5 per cent on their year-earlier level. 

Meat prices rose 0.4 per cent in December from November and stood 7.1 per cent above their December 2023 value. 

The FAO cereal price index was little changed last month from November and was 9.3 per cent below its year-earlier level, as a slightly uptick in maize quotations offset a drop in those for wheat, FAO said. 

FAO did not provide a new forecast for global cereal production, with the next estimate due next month.