World food price index up for second month in April, says UN agency

The United Nations food agency's world price index rose for a second consecutive month in April as higher meat prices and slight gains for vegetable oils and cereals outweighed decreases for sugar and dairy products.

Many household have been struggling to catch up financially since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Unisa Bureau of Market Research. Stock photo.
Many household have been struggling to catch up financially since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Unisa Bureau of Market Research. Stock photo. (123RF/Asawin Klabma)

The United Nations food agency's world price index rose for a second consecutive month in April as higher meat prices and slight gains for vegetable oils and cereals outweighed decreases for sugar and dairy products.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 119.1 points in April, up from a revised 118.8 points for the previous month, the agency said on Friday.

The FAO's April reading was nonetheless 7.4% below the level a year earlier after hitting a three-year low in February.

Reuters

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