FAO: World food prices decline amid relief from restarted Ukraine grain exports

FAO: World food prices decline amid relief from restarted Ukraine grain exports
August 6, 2022, 7:09 am

A nurse prepares food as a mother looks on at her malnourished child in the emergency medial care section for critical care patients in the ALIMA (The Alliance for International Medical Action) managed nutrition unit of the hospital Tchad/ Chine in N'djamena, Chad on May 13, 2022. (AFP)

World food prices declined dramatically in July, according to the Rome-based United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Friday, (August 5), the Xinhus reported.

The FAO said, a deal to allow grain shipments from Ukraine and adjustments to the global supply chain helped relieve some price pressure.

According to data released by the FAO, the monthly index of food commodity prices fell 8.6 percent in July, its largest one-month fall since 2008.

The decline represented the third consecutive month the index fell, though it's the first time in that period the decline was significant, according to the Xinhua.

Despite the trend from July, the index is still 5 percent higher than at the start of the year and 13 percent above levels from a year ago.

In April, the FAO index reached its highest-ever level due to increases in fuel prices, a slowdown in grain exports from Russia and Ukraine amid those countries' conflict, and other supply chain issues.

World Trade Organization: Rocketing global food prices as a result of the war in Ukraine could trigger riots from those going hungry in poor countries (File photo: Pixabay)

Every component of the index retreated in July, led by an 11.5-percent fall in prices for grains and cereals -- the largest component in the index.

FAO said that development was partially related to a key deal to unblock the main Black Sea ports in Ukraine to allow grain exports from that country, one of the world's top grain producers.

But prices for grains and cereals were still nearly 25 percent above their levels from 12 months ago.

FAO says world food prices hit an all-time high over Ukraine war

According to the FAO, prices for vegetable oil was down 19.2 percent, a ten-month low, helped by strong export quotas for Indonesian palm oil.

Dairy prices were 2.5-percent lower amid lackluster global demand, while prices for meat slipped 0.5 percent, their first decline since last year.

It is worthy to note that FAO's Food Price Index is based on worldwide prices for 23 food commodity categories covering prices for 73 different products compared to a baseline year.

Source: xinhua

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