FAO: Global food prices reached their highest level in April 2026

ROME, May 09,  (YPA) – The benchmark of world food commodity prices rose in April for a third consecutive month amid elevated energy costs and disruptions caused by the conflict in the Near East, according to the latest release by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 130.7 points in April, up 1.6 percent from its revised March level and 2.0 percent higher than a year ago.

The FAO Cereal Price Index rose by 0.8 percent from March and was up 0.4 percent from a year ago, reflecting higher prices across major cereals, except sorghum and barley. World wheat prices increased by 0.8 percent, due to concerns over drought in parts of the United States of America and a higher likelihood of below-average rainfall in Australia.

The increase was further reinforced by expectations of reduced wheat plantings in 2026, as farmers shifted to less fertilizer-intensive crops amid high fertilizer prices, driven by elevated energy costs and disruptions associated with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, the organization slightly raised its forecast for global cereal production in 2025, predicting a record output of 3.04 billion tons, nearly 6 percent higher than the previous year.

Last month, FAO warned that tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and broader instability in the Middle East could severely disrupt global food and agriculture markets by affecting energy and fertilizer supplies and driving up commodity prices.

@E.Y.M