Key points
- FAO reported a September 2026 meat price index of 127.9 points, 1.5 points or 1.1% below revised August.
- Lower pig and poultry quotations drove the fall; bovine and ovine meat quotations were broadly stable.
- The index measures international meat-price movement, not livestock headcount, local live-animal prices or a USD-per-kilogram quote.
FAO's September meat index declined while its overall food index rose. The difference matters when interpreting pig, cattle and sheep markets.
Read the correct series
In its 2 October 2026 release, FAO put the September meat price index at 127.9 points, down 1.5 points (1.1%) from revised August. The accompanying original chart plots August at 129.4 points, calculated from FAO's reported difference, and September at 127.9. These are index points, not dollars, yuan, rubles, tonnes or prices per animal.
Species moved differently
FAO attributed the meat-index decline to lower pig-meat and poultry quotations. It said bovine and ovine meat prices were broadly stable in the aggregate, while noting offsetting regional movements. Therefore the headline index should not be read as a uniform fall in every cattle or sheep market. The wider FAO food price index rose in September because other commodity groups moved differently.
Implications for facility planning
An international price index can inform scenario discussions, but it cannot set a slaughter-line capacity or a project payback figure. For a pig, cattle or sheep facility brief, separate local animal supply, product mix, permitted operating days and market assumptions. Keep the index date and definition alongside any procurement or investment model.
Revision and evidence limits
FAO warns that recent meat-index months mix observed and projected prices and can be revised. The figures were checked on 15 October 2026 against the release dated 2 October; the next scheduled FAO release had not yet occurred. This article offers an original interpretation, not a forecast or a claim about an individual country's farmgate price.
Practical question
Does 127.9 mean meat cost 127.9 dollars per kilogram in September?
No. It is an FAO index level in points, reflecting international price movement across meat products.
Related equipment and planning resources
Sources and further reading
Sources checked: