ROME, Jan 3 Reuters The United Nations39; world food price index dipped in December against November levels, led lower by a drop in international sugar quotations, but still showed a robust gain yearonyear, data showed on Friday.

The index, compiled by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization FAO to track the most globally traded food commodities, fell to 127.0 points last month from a slightly revised 127.6 in November.

The November figure was previously put at 127.5.

The December value was up 6.7 from 12 months previously, yet remained 20.7 below the alltime high reached in March 2022, FAO said.

For 2024 as a whole, the index averaged 122.0, 2.1 lower than the 2023 value, offsetting significant decreases in quotations for cereals and sugar with smaller increases in prices for vegetable oils, dairy and meats.

Sugar prices led December39;s monthly decline, dropping 5.1 monthonmonth thanks to improving sugarcane crop prospects in the main producing countries to stand 10.6 below its December 2023 level.

Dairy prices declined after seven consecutive months of increases, losing 0.7 from November but still posting a 17.0 gain yearonyear. Vegetable oil prices dropped 0.5 monthonmonth, but were up 33.5 on their yearearlier level.

Meat prices rose 0.4 in December from November and stood 7.1 above their December 2023 value.

The FAO cereal price index was little changed last month from November and was 9.3 below its yearearlier level, as a slightly uptick in maize…