Global Food Price Index Rises by 1.6 Percent in April

12-May-2026 01:18 PM

Rome. The Global Food Price Index of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)—a specialized agency of the United Nations—reached 130.7 points in April, marking a 1.6 percent increase compared to March. This marks the third consecutive month that an upward trend has been recorded in the index.

During the period under review, prices of vegetable (edible) oils and certain cereals rose, while prices of sugar and dairy products registered a decline. A press release issued by the FAO stated that the Food Price Index for April 2026 stood 2 percent higher than the level recorded in April 2025, yet remained 18.4 percent below the all-time peak reached on March 8, 2022. Last year, the prices of several commodities had remained low.

According to the FAO release, the average price index for vegetable oils rose to 193.9 points in April—an increase of approximately 6 percent compared to March and the highest level recorded since July 2022. During this period, prices for palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and rapeseed/canola oil consistently showed an upward trend. Concerns regarding potentially higher prices for crude mineral oil have led to an increased utilization of edible oils in the production of biodiesel; this is likely to impact the availability of these oils for food consumption purposes.

Palm oil prices have maintained a bullish and firm trend over the past five months. This surge is attributed to two factors: firstly, an increase in global market demand, and secondly, the likelihood of reduced production in Southeast Asia.

The FAO's Global Cereal Price Index reached 111.3 points in April, registering a 0.8 percent increase compared to March. Within this category, the price index for wheat rose by 0.8 percent. Wheat prices were driven upward by drought conditions in certain parts of the United States, as well as the likelihood of below-average rainfall in Australia.