The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 124.3 points in December, down from 125.1 in November and 2.3% lower than a year earlier.
For the full 2025 year, the index averaged 127.2 points, up 4.3% from 2024, as higher world prices for vegetable oils and dairy products outweighed declines in cereal and sugar quotations.
The dairy index declined by 4.4% in December, driven by a steep drop in butter prices following increased cream availability in Europe. However, for
Meat prices dipped 1.3% last month, led by falls in bovine and poultry categories, but the full-year index remained 5.1% above the previous year's value, supported by strong global demand and uncertainty linked to animal diseases and geopolitical tensions, the FAO said.
Vegetable oil prices eased 0.2% in December to a six-month low, as weaker soy, rapeseed and sunflower oil quotations offset gains in palm oil. For the whole of
The FAO Cereal Price Index rose 1.7% in December with wheat supported by renewed concerns over Black Sea export flows, and maize buoyed by strong ethanol production in both Brazil and the United States.
Also read: World food commodity prices fall in January as sugar, vegetable oils decline – FAO
For the whole of 2025, the cereal index averaged 4.9% below its 2024 level, its third consecutive annual decline and the lowest annual average since 2020.
Sugar prices rose 2.4% in December after three consecutive monthly declines, mainly due to lower production in Brazil's southern regions.
The sugar index reached a five-year low for 2025, down 17% from 2024, as global supplies remained plentiful
