From the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, September 5:
» The FAO Food Price Index* (FFPI) averaged 130.1 points in August 2025, virtually unchanged from the revised July level of 130.0 points. Declines in the cereal and dairy price indices were offset by increases in the indices for meat, sugar and vegetable oils. Overall, the FFPI was 8.4 points (6.9 percent) higher than in August 2024 but remained 30.1 points (18.8 percent) below its peak reached in March 2022.
» The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 105.6 points in August, down 0.8 points (0.8 percent) from July and 4.5 points (4.1 percent) from August 2024. International wheat prices declined month-on-month, reflecting ample global supplies and subdued import demand, especially from major buyers in Asia and North Africa. Larger harvests in the European Union and the Russian Federation further weighed on prices. By contrast, world maize prices rose for the third consecutive month, mostly underpinned by concerns over the impact of heatwaves on yields in the European Union and the increased demand for feed use and ethanol production especially in the United States of America. Among the other coarse grains, world prices of sorghum decreased while those of barley increased. Meanwhile, the FAO All Rice Price Index fell by 2.0 percent in August 2025, driven by lower Indica prices amid continued fierce competition among exporters.
» The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index averaged 169.1 points in August, up 2.3 points (1.4 percent) month-on-month, reaching its highest level since July 2022. The increase was driven by higher quotations for palm, sunflower and rapeseed oils, more than offsetting a slight decline in soyoil values. International palm oil prices rose for the third consecutive month in August, largely underpinned by robust global import demand and news of Indonesia’s intention to further raise its biodiesel blending mandate in 2026. Global sunflower and rapeseed oil prices increased on tightening supplies in the Black Sea region and in Europe, respectively. By contrast, world soyoil prices edged lower, mainly reflecting prospects of ample global soybean supplies in the 2025/26 season.
» The FAO Meat Price Index averaged 128.0 points in August, up 0.7 points (0.6 percent) from July and 5.9 points (4.9 percent) from a year ago, marking a new all-time high. The rise was driven by continuing higher bovine and ovine meat prices, which outweighed largely stable pig meat quotations and lower poultry meat prices. International bovine meat prices reached a new record high, underpinned by strong demand from the United States of America, which boosted Australian quotations, and firm import demand from China, which kept Brazilian export prices firm despite reduced sales to the United States of America following the imposition of additional tariffs. Ovine meat prices rose for the fifth consecutive month, reflecting tight export supplies in Oceania, with higher volumes directed to more lucrative markets, notably the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. World pig meat prices remained broadly steady amid balanced global demand and supply conditions. By contrast, poultry meat quotations declined, pressured by ample exportable supplies from Brazil. Although Brazil declared its commercial poultry farms free of high pathogenicity avian influenza in mid-June, import restrictions maintained by some major trading partners continued to affect demand.
» The FAO Dairy Price Index averaged 152.6 points in August 2025, down 1.3 percent from July, marking the second consecutive monthly decline while remaining 16.2 percent above its level a year-earlier. The decrease reflected lower international prices for butter, cheese, and whole milk powder (WMP), outweighing higher skim milk powder (SMP) quotations. Butter prices declined by 2.5 percent in August, as robust production in New Zealand—despite the country’s seasonal output lull—and steady supplies from the European Union boosted global availability, while import demand, especially from Asia, remained subdued. Cheese prices declined by 1.8 percent, reversing increases since April, with softer demand from key Asian markets and seasonally low export activity weighing on Oceania markets, while in the European Union, weaker domestic demand during the holiday period and increased export competition added pressure on cheese prices. WMP prices edged down by 0.3 percent, reflecting muted demand from key importing countries. By contrast, SMP prices rose by 1.8 percent, driven by limited exportable surpluses in New Zealand and steady demand from Southeast Asia....
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