New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) World food commodity prices rose in March for the second month in a row, largely due to higher energy prices linked to the conflict escalation in West Asia, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said on Friday.

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally-traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.

“Price rises since the conflict began have been modest, driven mainly by higher oil prices and cushioned by ample global cereal supplies,” said FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.

“But if the conflict stretches beyond 40 days with high input costs with current low margins, farmers will have to choose: farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertiliser crops. Those choices will hit future yields and shape our food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and all of the next,” Torero added.

The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 per cent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 per cent due to drought-related deterioration of crop prospects in the United States of America and expectations of reduced plantings in Australia due to higher fertiliser costs.

Global maize quotations edged up slightly, as ample global availability offset concerns over fertilizer affordability and indirect support from greater ethanol demand prospects linked to the rising energy prices.

The FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 per cent in March, driven by harvest timing, weaker import demand, and currency depreciations against the United States dollar.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index increased by 5.1 per cent from February to stand 13.2 per cent higher than its year-earlier level. International quotations for palm, soy, sunflower and rapeseed oil all rose, reflecting spillover effects from the sharp increases in crude oil prices, which catalysed expectations of stronger demand for biofuels.

The FAO Meat Price Index increased by 1.0 per cent from the previous month, driven by a surge in pig meat prices in the European Union ahead of strengthening seasonal demand, along with higher world bovine meat prices, particularly in Brazil, where exportable supplies were curtailed by tightening cattle availability.

Ovine and poultry meat prices declined, partly due to logistical constraints limiting access to markets in the Near East.

The FAO Dairy Price Index increased by 1.2 per cent, and Sugar Price Index increased by 7.2 per cent in March.

Rising expectations that Brazil, the main sugar exporter, would use more sugarcane to produce ethanol to counter higher international crude oil prices overweighed a generally favourable global supply outlook for the current season, supported by good harvest progress in India and Thailand.

With most of the world’s wheat crop already planted, FAO forecasts worldwide harvests of 820 million tonnes, a 1.7 per cent drop from the previous year.

–IANS

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