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Global food prices rebound, FAO says

Fri, Feb 10 2012 14:30 CET 1146 Views
Global food prices rebound, FAO says

Tractors move sugar in a cargo terminal at Santos port, 27km southeast of Sao Paulo.

Photo: Reuters

Global food prices rose overall last month for the first time in six months, demonstrating the volatility of international food markets, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation said on February 9 2012, quoted by the UN News Centre.

The FAO Food Price Index rose by four points or nearly two per cent to a measure of 214 points in January 2012, with the price of oils increasing the most, followed by cereals, sugar, dairy products and meat.

This is the first such increase since July 2011, and the index still stands seven per cent below its position of January 2011.

Abdolreza Abbasian, a senior grains economist with FAO, said there was no single or clear explanation behind the rebound in food prices, with different reasons applying to different commodities.

"But the increase, despite an expected record harvest and an improved stocks situation, and after six months of falling or stable prices, highlights the unpredictability prevailing in global food markets," he said.

"I can’t see that the usual suspects – the value of the dollar and oil prices – were much involved in January. But one reason is poor weather currently affecting key growing regions like South America and Europe. It has played a role and remains a cause for concern," he said.

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