FAO food commodity prices in May showed increases in cereals, sugar and beef
Key takeaways
- ”While global food commodity markets have remained broadly resilient, rising cereal prices underscore vulnerability to weather-related risks and disruptions in energy and input markets.
- Hard Red Winter wheat prices in May 2026 were 28 percent higher than in May 2025.
- The FAO All-Rice Price Index increased by 2.7 percent from the previous month as weather concerns and higher crude oil and derived product prices underpinned quotations in some leading Asian exporting countries.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The benchmark measure for world food commodity prices remained broadly stable in May, as declines in vegetable oil quotations offset increases in those for cereals and sugar, according to new data released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally-traded food commodities, averaged 130.8 points in May 2026, down 0.2 percent from its revised April level and 2.9 percent higher than its year-earlier level.
”While global food commodity markets have remained broadly resilient, rising cereal prices underscore vulnerability to weather-related risks and disruptions in energy and input markets. Continued uncertainty affecting key trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, could reduce fertilizer use and place additional pressure on food prices, highlighting the need for coordinated international action, said Boubaker Ben-Belhassen, Director of FAO s Markets and Trade division.