International prices of cereals were generally firm in August. Wheat prices increased in response to low production prospects in Europe and stronger buying interest. International prices of rice also increased, underpinned by seasonally tight export availabilities and increasing African demand. Maize price quotations were mixed, with the benchmark US maize values down from the previous month but those from South America went up. In East Africa, prices of coarse grains...

Food markets will face many more months of uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while most markets are braced for a major global economic downturn, the agri-food sector is likely to display more resilience to the crisis than other sectors. Food Outlook is published by the Trade and Markets Division of FAO under Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). It is a biannual publication focusing on developments affecting global...

As it was projected earlier in the year, while most markets were braced for a major global economic downturn, the food sector, including markets for bananas and tropical fruits, continued to display more resilience to the Covid-19 pandemic than other sectors. This report provides supply and demand forecasts for basic foodstuffs, fish and fishery products along with price analysis, policy information and a preliminary assessment of the impacts of the Covid-19...

The FAO Meat Price Index fell in July, resulting from declines in price quotations for pig and bovine meats, overshadowing a recovery in the prices of poultry meat and an increase of those of ovine meat. High export availabilities, amid weak global import demand, underpinned pig and bovine meat price falls. Brazil’s production cuts were principally behind the recovery in poultry meat prices. Subdued demand for ovine meat put a break on the...

The month of July saw FAO’s price indices for oilseeds and vegetable oils rise to multi-month highs, gaining, respectively, 3.1 and 6.6 points (or 3.5 and 7.6 percent). By contrast, in the case of oilmeals, the price index only marginally recovered from the marked falls registered in May and June, up merely 0.5 points (or 0.6 percent) in July. Compared to their year-earlier levels, the oilseeds and oilmeals indices stood,...

This policy brief provides an overview of how digital technologies can help facilitate access to trade finance for market participants, in particular micro, small and medium sized enterprises, by addressing numerous challenges in traditional trade finance.

In June, FAO’s price index for oilseeds recovered moderately from the nine-month low observed in May, gaining 2.0 points (or 2.3 percent). Mean-while, the vegetable oils index saw a marked rebound after declining for four months in a row, climbing by 8.8 points (or 11.3 percent) from its May value. By contrast, the oilmeal index continued declining, shedding 1.9 points (or 2.3 percent) month-on-month and reaching a six-month low. While...

In late May 2020, a locust outbreak was reported in northeastern provinces of Formosa, Santa Fé and Corrientes in Argentina. Crop and pasture losses have been limited due to the implementation of effective control measures. If swarms move to key producing areas of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, they could threaten the main 2020 winter wheat and barley crops that will be harvested in the last quarter of the year. Intensification...

Export prices of wheat continued to decline in June, pressured by the progress of the new harvests and a favourable global supply outlook. International prices of rice decreased for the first time since the start of the year mainly on account of slow trading activities. By contrast, prices of maize increased, after declining in the past several months, supported by strong global demand and adverse growing conditions in the United...