ROME, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- World food prices climbed to their highest levels in five years in Dec. 2019, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Thursday.

The latest increase marked the end of an up-and-down year for the FAO Food Price Index: prices climbed over the first five months of the year, then fell for three consecutive months before rising for four straight months to close out the year.

In December, the index rose 2.5 percent compared to November, and was more than 10 percent higher than at the start of the year and at its highest point since Dec. 2014.

Vegetable oils and sugar were the main products pushing the index higher in December, rising 9.4 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively. The FAO said that sugar prices climbed as Brazilian growers used more of their supplies to make ethanol for fuel.

Prices for grains and cereals -- the main components of the index -- climbed a modest 1.4 percent, more or less offsetting a drop in prices in November. Prices for rice and corn were almost unchanged compared to November. The grain and cereal index finished the year 0.9 percent lower than at the start, despite an increase in December.

Dairy prices rose 3.3 percent in December. Meat prices, meanwhile, were unchanged compared to November.

The monthly FAO Food Price Index is based on worldwide prices for 23 food commodity categories covering prices for 73 different products compared to a baseline year. Enditem

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