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Food got cheaper in 2015

gmcropsWorld food prices dropped 19% in 2015, marking the fourth consecutive annual decline.

Meat, dairy, oils, sugars and cereals were all hit by weak demand across the globe as well as by an appreciating US dollar value.

The biggest drop was in dairy, with prices down a massive 28.5% compared to 2014. This was the lowest annual average since 2009.

The drop came as a result of lower milk powder prices and has been a blow to dairy farmers. British farmers received an average of nearly 23p per litre of milk in December, a fall of 34% over December 2014.

Cheese and butter prices remained stable. Butter was the dairy product most in demand, especially in North America, the Middle East and North Africa.

The price of meat went down 15%.

Sugar prices fluctuated over the year. An oversupply pushed prices down but towards the end of 2015 fear that production in Brazil would taper off forced prices back up to reach the same level as in December 2014. Brazil is the largest sugar producer in the world.

Statistics came from The Food Price Index, collated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

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