São Paulo – The food price index calculated monthly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, in the Portuguese acronym) continued to decline in March, following a trend that started in April 2014. Last month’s index, released this Thursday (2nd) by FAO in Rome, recorded 173.8 points, or 1.5% lower than the prices registered in February and 18.7% in comparison to March 2014.
In a statement, the agency said that some of the reasons that for the price drop are “abundant supply” of some commodities and the appreciated dollar, which boost exports from food-producing countries. According to FAO, the price of sugar reached its lowest level since February 2009, which made up for the price of dairy products, for instance, which reached their highest value since October of last year.
Besides the groups of sugar and dairy products, the FAO index is formed by the groups of meats, cereals and vegetable oils. All of them registered lower prices in comparison to February, 2015 and to March, 2014.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
