Global food commodity prices eased in October as sugar rose
The FAO’s index fell 1.2% from September. Sugar moved in the opposite direction for a fourth straight month.
International prices for traded food commodities fell in October, with cheaper cereals, meat and dairy pulling down the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s benchmark. The index averaged 133.9 points, 1.2% below its revised September reading and 5.9% above October 2025.
Sugar posted the strongest increase among the five groups the index tracks. Its benchmark climbed 6.6% over the month. FAO attributed much of the rise to rain that disrupted harvesting and milling in Brazil’s Centre-South, alongside uncertainty about production elsewhere.
The cereal index fell 4.5%. FAO pointed to weaker demand for wheat and better prospects for the Argentine harvest. Rice diverged from the broader cereals category, rising 1.6% as some exporters faced harvest delays and higher costs.
The benchmark reflects international commodity prices. Local grocery prices also depend on exchange rates, transport and retail costs, so households can see a different trend. In a separate outlook, FAO forecast that global cereal trade in the 2026–27 season would shrink 3.3%, with weaker wheat shipments accounting for much of the drop.