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Informist, Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

NEW DELHI – The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Price Index rose 2.4% on month to 128.5 points in March, marking a second consecutive month of increase and indicating a reversal from declines seen in the previous five months. Price indices for all commodity groups, including cereals, meats, dairy, sugar, and vegetable oils, rose to varying degrees, the global body said in a release. The index for March was 1.0% above its year-ago value but 19.8% down from the peak reached in March 2022, it said.

The Vegetable Oil Price Index averaged 183.1 points in March, up 5% from February, marking a third consecutive monthly increase. "The continued increase was driven by higher quotations across palm, soy, sunflower, and rapeseed oils," the FAO said. International palm oil prices reached their highest level since mid-2022 in March and moved at a premium over soyoil, largely reflecting spillover effects from the sharp increases in crude oil prices amid the West Asia conflict, while lower-than-expected production estimates in Malaysia provided additional support, the FAO said. 

The Sugar Price Index was up 7.2% in March, reaching its highest level since November 2025. "The increase in March was mainly influenced by higher international crude oil prices, raising expectations that Brazil, the world's top sugar exporter, would rely more on sugarcane-based ethanol during the upcoming harvest," it said. Additional upward pressure on sugar prices stemmed from concerns over the impact of the West Asia conflict escalation on sugar trade flows, it said. However, the organisation sees an overall increase in world sugar prices contained by the favourable global supply outlook, supported by a good harvest in India and Thailand.

The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 110.4 points in March, up 1.5% on month. World wheat prices rose 4.3%, supported by deteriorating crop condition ratings in the US amid drought concerns and expectations of reduced plantings in Australia in response to anticipated higher fertiliser costs. These upward pressures were partly offset by generally favourable crop conditions in Europe and strong competition among exporters, underpinned by still comfortable supply levels.

The Dairy Price Index was up 1.2% on month at 120.9 points in March. This marked the first increase since July 2025, driven primarily by higher quotations for skim milk powder, butter, and whole milk powder, while lower international cheese prices limited the overall rise, the organisation said. 

The price index for meat was up 1% in March, largely driven by higher pig meat prices, alongside a modest rise in bovine meat quotations, while ovine and poultry meat prices softened.  End

Reported by Pallavi Singhal

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

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