Meat List is a service of FAO's Markets
and Trade
The FAO Meat Price Index* averaged 118.4 points in October, down 1.6 points (1.4 percent) from September, marking the fourth
consecutive monthly decline, with world prices of all meat types registering drops. However, the index remained 6.4 points (5.8 percent) above its value a year ago. International ovine meat prices registered the steepest drop, underpinned by the impacts of
currency movements and seasonally increasing supplies from Oceania amid subdued import purchases. Likewise, world pig meat prices dropped substantially on weak global import purchases in tandem with softer internal demand in some leading producing countries.
Meanwhile, world bovine prices fell slightly on high current supplies and rising availability of slaughter cattle, notably in Brazil. International poultry meat price downward trend continued for the fourth consecutive month, as export availabilities outpaced
subdued global demand, notwithstanding setbacks to production stemming from avian influenza outbreaks and high feed costs.
* Unlike for other commodity groups, most prices utilised in the calculation of the FAO Meat Price Index are not available when the FAO Food Price
Index is computed and published; therefore, the value of the Meat Price Index for the most recent months is derived from a mixture of projected and observed prices. This can, at times, require significant revisions in the final value of the FAO Meat Price
Index.