FAO: Global Food Prices Dropped for Tenth Month in a Row

QNA

Rome: Food prices have fallen for the tenth month in a row, as higher exports of wheat from Russia and Australia ease inflationary pressures, a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said.

The FAO’s food-price index, a closely watched barometer of global food prices, averaged 131.2 points in January 2023, down 1.1 points or 0.8% from Decembers reading. Prices are now down 17.9% from the peak in March 2022, when the index hit an all-time high of 159.7 points following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

FAO said that much of the easing had been led by lower wheat prices but that grain prices overall were more or less unchanged from December with a FAO cereal price index reading of 147.4 points in January, a rise of just 0.1%. Wheat prices had fallen 2.5% during the month on higher Russian and Australian wheat exports, but strong demand for corn had meant flat grain prices overall.

The UN agency added that global cereal output in 2022 is now forecast at 2.76 billion metric tons – 1.7% below the 2021 outturn.

The FAO said that lower prices might mean less winter wheat is planted in Russia, while Ukraine is likely to see winter wheat planting cut by 40% because of the war.

Meat prices meanwhile, were down 0.1% from December but were still 1.3% higher than they were a year ago. Lower world prices of poultry, bovine and pig meats underpinned the decline in the index in January, FAO said.

Sugar prices fell for the first time in three months, sliding 1.1% from December on “good harvest progress in Thailand and favorable weather conditions benefiting sugarcane crop development in key growing areas of Brazil.” The FAO did highlight crop concerns in India and higher gasoline prices in Brazil incentivizing more ethanol production in the region – both of which would provide support to prices.

قنا

روما: انخفض مؤشر الأسعار العالمية لمنظمة الأغذية والزراعة /فاو/ التابعة للأمم المتحدة في يناير الماضي وذلك للشهر العاشر على التوالي، مسجلا انخفاضا بنحو 18 بالمئة عن أعلى مستوى سجله في مارس الماضي بعد الحرب الروسية في أوكرانيا.

وأفادت المنظمة في بيان لها بأن مؤشرها للأسعار، الذي يقيس السلع الغذائية الأكثر تداولا في العالم، سجل 131.2 نقطة في المتوسط الشهر الماضي مقارنة مع 132.2 نقطة لشهر ديسمبر الماضي.

وأشارت الفاو إلى أن انخفاض أسعار الزيوت النباتية ومنتجات الألبان والسكر ساعد على تراجع المؤشر، بينما ظلت أسعار الحبوب واللحوم مستقرة إلى حد كبير.

وفي تقديرات منفصلة للعرض والطلب على الحبوب، رفعت الفاو توقعاتها لإنتاج الحبوب العالمي في 2022 إلى 2.765 مليار طن من تقدير سابق قدره 2.756 مليار طن.

وساهم تمديد اتفاق تصدير الحبوب من أوكرانيا لمدة 120 يوما أخرى في نوفمبر الماضي في تراجع المخاوف بشأن تعطيل الحرب للتجارة عبر البحر الأسود.