Global Cereal Stocks Forecast To Rise By 17.2 Million Tonnes In 2027: FAO

ROME, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 08th Nov, 2026) World cereal production is forecast to retreat from its 2025 record in 2026, while remaining at its second-highest level on record (2 999 million tonnes), according to the new Cereal Supply and Demand Brief, released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). Production is expected to decline across all major cereals, most markedly for wheat, while coarse grains are forecast to register only a marginal decrease. World cereal utilization in 2026/27 is forecast to increase marginally by 0.2% to 2 971 million tonnes from 2025/26. Food consumption accounts for most of the expected increase, with food use of both wheat and rice seen rising by 0.8% and 1.0%, respectively. This is slightly below the pace of global population growth. Global cereal stocks are forecast to rise by 17.2 million tonnes, or 1.8%, by the close of seasons in 2027, largely reflecting higher wheat inventories in the Russian Federation and Ukraine, where export disruptions are contributing to an accumulation of supplies. The global cereal stocks-to-use ratio is forecast at 32.4%, slightly above the previous season's level. World trade in cereals in 2026/27 is forecast to contract by 3.3%, to 507.7 million tonnes. A fall of 8.6% in wheat trade is the main driver, with shipments from all major exporters declining amid supply or logistical constraints.