FAO Food Price Index edges up in July | FAO News

Rome – The FAO Food Price Index, a benchmark for world food commodity prices, averaged 130.1 points in July 2025, up 1.6 percent from June, driven primarily by rising international prices of meat & vegetable oils. Despite this monthly increase, the index remains 18.8 percent below its peak in March 2022, although 7.6 percent higher than its level in July 2024.

The index tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a set of globally traded food commodities. In July, price increases in the meat & vegetable oil indices more than offset declines in the cereal, dairy & sugar indices.

The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 106.5 points, down 0.8 percent from June. Declining wheat & sorghum prices outweighed increases in maize & barley. Fresh seasonal wheat harvests in the northern hemisphere put downward pressure, though adverse conditions of spring wheat in parts of northern America provided some price support. The FAO All Rice Price Index dropped 1.8 percent, driven by ample export supplies & weak import demand.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index averaged 166.8 points in July, marking a sharp rise of 7.1 percent from the previous month, reaching a three-year high. The increase reflected higher quotations for palm, soy & sunflower oils. Palm oil prices rose on robust global demand & improved competitiveness, while soy oil was supported by expectations of firm biofuel sector demand in the Americas. Sunflower oil prices also climbed due to tightening export supplies in the Black Sea region. In contrast, rapeseed oil prices declined with the arrival of new crop supplies in Europe.

The FAO Meat Price Index averaged 127.3 points, up 1.2 percent from June, reaching a new all-time high. The increase was led by higher prices for bovine & ovine meat, supported by strong import demand, particularly from China & the United States of America. Poultry meat prices also edged up slightly amid resumed imports from key partners following Brazil’s regaining of its avian influenza-free status. Conversely, pig meat prices declined due to ample supplies & reduced global demand, especially in the European Union.

The FAO Dairy Price Index edged down by 0.1 percent from June to 155.3 points, marking the first decline since April 2024. Prices for butter & milk powders decreased, reflecting abundant export supplies & subdued import demand, particularly from Asia. However, international cheese prices continued to rise, driven by strong demand in Asian & Near East markets & tighter export availability in the European Union.

The FAO Sugar Price Index averaged 103.3 points, down 0.2 percent from the previous month, continuing its downward trend for a fifth consecutive month. Expectations of a global production recovery in 2025/26, notably in Brazil, India, & Thailand, weighed on prices, although signs of a rebound in global sugar import moderated the decline.