ROME- 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 percent from 12 months previously, yet remained 20.7 percent below the all-time high reached in March 2022, FAO said.
For 2024 as a whole, the index averaged 122.0, 2.1 percent 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 percent month-on-month thanks to improving sugarcane crop prospects in the main producing countries to stand 10.6 percent below its December 2023 level.
Dairy prices declined after seven consecutive months of increases, losing 0.7 percent from November but still posting a 17.0 percent gain year-on-year. Vegetable oil prices dropped 0.5 percent month-on-month, but were up 33.5 percent on their year-earlier level.
Meat prices rose 0.4 percent in December from November and stood 7.1 percent above their December 2023 value.
The FAO cereal price index was little changed last month from November and was 9.3 percent 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.
