The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported that international food prices have reached a new high, surpassing levels seen in July 2011. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks the prices of key food items, increased by 3% in October compared to September, marking a third consecutive month of growth. This increase was led by a 3.2% rise in the Cereals Price Index, attributed to crop issues in major exporting countries, and a 9.6% surge in the Vegetable Oil Price Index, largely due to palm oil shortages in Malaysia. In contrast, the Meat Price Index fell by 0.7%, with pork and beef prices decreasing due to reduced demand from China and Brazil, respectively. However, poultry and mutton prices rose due to strong global demand. The average value of the FAO Sugar Price Index saw a 1.8% decline from September, influenced by low global import demand and anticipated exports increases from India and Thailand.