Highlights

High food prices persist in developing countries despite an improved global cereal supply situation and sharp decline in international prices. This is affecting access to food of large numbers of low-income vulnerable populations.

A recent analysis of domestic food prices for 58 developing countries shows that latest prices are higher than a year earlier in 78 percent of the cases, and in 43 percent of the cases are higher than 3 months earlier. Mostly affected are sub-Saharan African countries.

Global cereal stocks are anticipated to increase sharply at the end of 2008/09 season mainly reflecting the record cereal output in 2008.

World cereal production in 2009 is forecast by FAO to fall by 3 percent from the record level of last year. However, the supply outlook for 2009/10 is still satisfactory due to ample carryover stocks.

In the Low-Income Food-Deficit countries as a group, the 2009 cereal production could remain around the good level of 2008.

Food emergencies persist in 31 countries worldwide despite good 2008 cereal crops in many of the countries normally most at risk from food insecurity.