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July AMIS Market Monitor: Crop Conditions, Policy Developments, Prices and More
Conditions are favorable for wheat, maize and soybeans in the northern hemisphere according to this month's AMIS Market Monitor, while conditions for rice are mixed depending on the country.
The AMIS Market Monitor provides a synopsis of major developments in international commodity markets, focusing on wheat, maize, rice and soybeans. It represents the collective assessment of the ten international organizations that form the AMIS Secretariat concerning the international market situation and outlook.
FAO Sees Food Prices Fall for Second Consecutive Month
The FAO Food Price Index for May was released yesterday and is down 2.5 points from April, and nearly 7 points from May 2013. This is the second decline in a row, following the ten-month high reached in March. The decline is driven mostly by lower dairy, cereals, and vegetable oils prices.
Food Prices Rise Sharply in March
Food prices spiked in March, according to the latest FAO Food Price Index, released this week. The Index rose 4.8 points from February and is at its highest level since May 2013. The increase is due largely to poor weather and continuing unrest in the Black Sea region. Cereal and sugar prices gained the most this month.
Rice, Maize, Wheat Prices Stable in December
The latest FEWS Net Monthly Price Watch was released this week, citing stable international maize, rice, and wheat prices in December. Maize prices were over 30 percent lower than their December 2012 levels; global maize stocks are expected to hit their highest levels in over a decade due to near-harvest records in the United States, high stocks in South America, and decreasing overall use estimates. World soybean and palm oil production are also expected to reach record levels in 2013-2014. Soybean prices in December were below their 2012 levels.
FAO Food Price Index Unchanged in November
The latest FAO Food Price Index was released yesterday, remaining virtually unchanged from October at 206.3 points. The Index is 4.4 percent below its November 2012 level.
The Cereals Index dropped two points in November, and is a full 24 percent lower than it was in November 2012. This year's record cereals crop is the main driver of this reduction in cereals prices, particularly for wheat, maize, and rice.