KEY MESSAGES:

• In February 2025, international maize and wheat prices increased due to seasonally tighter supplies and concerns over crop production in key exporting countries. By contrast, international rice quotations declined, as ample exportable supplies and weak import demand exerted downward pressure on prices.
• FAO’s analysis of the latest domestic staple food price data indicates that prices remained higher year-on-year in many countries during January and February 2025. On a monthly basis, maize and wheat prices increased seasonally in South America, with strong export demand providing additional support to the price increases in the major exporting countries. In Southern Africa, tight supply conditions and inflationary pressures from weakened currencies in several countries continued to sustain high maize prices. In Central America, maize prices exhibited mixed trends, with the main season harvest driving price declines in some areas, while adverse weather conditions led to localized production shortfalls and price increases in others. In Far East Asia, rice prices decline due to increased market availability from the 2024 main harvest in most countries. Prices of coarse grains increased in parts of East and West Africa due to conflict-related market disruptions and production shortfalls from the 2024 cereal harvest.