Data

Global discussion surrounding agricultural investment and funding has increased in recent years, with farmers, development advocates, and policymakers alike calling for wider investments to fight hunger and poverty. The 2012 edition of the FAO's State of Food and Agriculture Report follows closely on this discussion, focusing on the importance of farmers as investors and the need for a stronger global enabling environment.

US wheat supplies are expected to increase by the end of 2013, in part because of weakened export demand, according to the latest Wheat Outlook from the USDA Economic Research Service. Global wheat production is also forecast to increase by 3.7 tons due to increases in China, Australia, and Canada. World ending stocks are predicted to be 2.8 million tons higher than previously estimated.

The latest FAO Food Price Index was released today and is down three points from October's Index. This is the lowest point since June 2012. With the exception of dairy, all commodities covered by the Index fell in November.

The Cereals Price Index is down four points from October, but is still 27 points higher than it was in November 2011. Weakening global rice and wheat prices drove the fall and compensated for higher maize prices.

The Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) has released the latest edition of its monthly Market Monitor. This month's report sees stabilized world markets as forecasts for 2012-2013 crop outlooks become more finalized. Despite this stabilization, however, attention should be paid to ongoing weather concerns, particularly drought affecting US winter wheat.

Wheat production in 2012 fell below the record seen in 2011, and ending stocks are expected to decline significantly. Wheat use, on the other hand, is expected to drop based on lower feed use in China and the EU.

The November issue of the FAO Monthly News Report was released today. The report covers ongoing global and regional trends in grain prices and policies. This month's report includes articles on global corn inventories and prices, EPA ethanol mandates, and the wheat genome project.

The FAO Monthly News Report on Grains series provides a collection of news articles from international media and news sources on issues relating to the international grain economy. These reports also include statistics and upcoming events.