Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Bulletin #3, 10 April 2017

Year of publication2017

AuthorFAO

PublisherFAO

AbstractInternational wheat export prices followed diverging trends in March depending on the origin. The benchmark US wheat price declined after increasing in the previous two months, mainly reflecting improved weather conditions in key-growing areas. By contrast, in Argentina, prices increased because of strong demand. Maize export prices generally declined under pressure from favourable production prospects in Southern Hemisphere countries. International prices of rice remained relatively stable and were below their year-earlier levels in several leading origins. In East Africa, cereal prices continued to increase at a fast pace in March and reached record or near-record highs in most countries due to overall tight supplies and the uncertain prospects for the upcoming 2017 main harvests. High prices of cereals and low livestock prices further deteriorated the terms of trade for pastoralists, severely constraining their access to food. In Southern Africa, expectations of a strong maize production rebound in 2017 contributed to push down prices in most countries. In the key subregional producer and exporter South Africa, prices of white maize fell by nearly 30 percent in March, continuing the declining trend of the previous two months and were less than half their year-earlier levels.

 

Product typeJournal; magazine; bulletin

SeriesFood Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA)

RegionGlobal

ISSN2707-1960

Areas of workGlobal Information and Early Warning System

KeywordsFood prices; market prices; prices; retail prices; wholesale prices; early warning systems; world; cereals; maize; wheat; millets; rice.