By Sybille de La Hamaide
PARIS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - World food prices edged lower in October as weaker import demand contributed to monthly declines in cereal, dairy and meat prices, but were still nearly 6% higher than a year earlier, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization said on Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in international prices for a basket of food commodities, averaged 133.9 points in October, down from a revised 135.6 in September.
The index was 5.9% higher than a year earlier, but remained 16.4% below its March 2022 peak.
FAO's cereal price index fell 4.5% from September and was 12.6% lower than a year ago, as wheat and maize quotations declined. Wheat prices eased on weak import demand and improved production prospects, especially in Argentina.
"Expectations of easing constraints on Black Sea export flows added to the downward pressure on prices, although continued disruptions to Black Sea logistics limited the decline," FAO said in a statement.
Maize prices also eased after reaching a three-year high in September, pressured by the US harvest, expectations of ample supplies in South America and renewed prospects of easing tensions in the Black Sea region.
Vegetable oil prices edged up 0.3%, as higher soybean and sunflower oil prices more than offset a fall in rapeseed oil prices.
Sugar prices rose 6.6%, their fourth straight monthly increase, to the highest level since December 2024, after rainfall disrupted harvesting in Brazil. They were now 28.8% above a year ago.
The dairy index fell 1.1%, as lower butter and cheese prices linked to ample supplies and subdued demand outweighed gains in milk powder.
The meat index declined 1.2%, while still slightly above its year-earlier level, as pig, ovine and bovine meat prices fell.
(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise, Elaine Hardcastle)