World food prices extend rise in March, United Nations' FAO says

World food prices climbed in March to the highest level since December, marking a second consecutive monthly increase, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said on Friday.

The FAO Food Price Index, which measures changes in a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4% from its revised February level.

In a separate report, the FAO slightly raised its 2025 global cereal production forecast to a record 3.036 billion metric tons. It would be 5.8% higher year-on-year.

-Sybille de La Hamaide/Reuters