JOHANNESBURG - Global food prices rose at their fastest rate in September since March 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
That is the word from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation in its latest Food Price Index.
The index tracks monthly changes in international prices of a basket of food.
The sharp increase is mainly due to ballooning sugar prices after dry weather and fires damaged crops in Brazil.
The sugar price index surged by more than 10 percent in September.
Vegetable oil prices rose 4.6 percent while the cereal index increased by three percent.