World food prices fell slightly in April after hitting a record high in March, but remain high due to the war in Ukraine, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced over the weekend. , by its acronym in English).
The index stood at 158.5 points, which represents a decrease of 1.2 points (0.8%) compared to March, even so it is 36.4 points (29.8%) above the value registered in the same month last year, “he said in a statement.
The decline was led by a significant decline in the vegetable oil price sub-index, along with a slight decline in the cereal price sub-index. At the same time, the price sub-indices for sugar, meat and dairy products registered a moderate increase.
The 5.7% decline in the vegetable oil index pulled down the average, but prices remain at a historically high level due to uncertainty over exportable supplies of palm oil from Indonesia, the world’s largest exporter.
Since the Indonesian government announced an embargo 10 days ago, the price of oil has risen nearly 14 percent.
The cereal index fell 0.7%, thanks to a 3% drop in global corn prices.
Wheat prices, affected by the closure of Ukrainian ports and weather uncertainties for the US crop, rose 0.2 percent.