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NEAR-TERM MARKET PRICING TREND |
SUPPLY vs. DEMAND |
MARKET INSIGHTS COMMENTARY |
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Available - Mixed |
Sell! Fight for local and regional market share. Help clear, and sell through on-hand warehouse inventory. The holiday selling window for Ribs and Tenderloins will remain open for 10 to 14 days. Anticipate the return of unwelcome market volatility immediately following the New Year. Chucks, Rounds, Thin Meats, and Ground Beef will move higher. |
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Available - Weak |
Focus this time of year is on beef, turkey, and value-added pork (ham). Demand is weak and supply is sufficient, prices across all commodities are unremarkable. |
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Available - Steady |
Bacon pricing should be at or near the bottom and should settle for the rest of 2026. Long term, expect prices to increase 25% between January 1 and March 1. |
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Steady |
Available - Steady |
The front half of the bird remained steady in price. The back half of the bird remains steady and supply is broadly available. |
| Poultry (Turkey) |
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Short – Strong |
Pricing continues to rise across the board for turkey. Availability is short of demand by far. This is expected to continue near term. Avian Influenza has begun to strike in various areas, likely to continue near term which further affects supply. |
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Available - Steady |
On-again/off-again tariffs are creating volatility in seafood markets. Import costs are up, supply chains are inconsistent, and species availability varies. Demand remains steady, but uncertainty on trade policy is keeping buyers cautious and pricing unstable.
Pasteurized Crab meat, Haddock, and Cod supply is on the decrease so shortages and price increases are expected. |
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Increasing Supply,
Strong Demand |
National butter demand is varied, with robust retail restocking but generally subdued foodservice activity following the holidays. In the East, heavy production continues and excess butter is being frozen for later use, though foodservice demand remains quiet. Central region contacts note lighter end-of-year demand across both retail and foodservice channels, despite strong cream availability and increased interest from export buyers. In the West, processors are operating busier schedules into the new year, while foodservice orders remain inconsistent due to some plant downtime. Overall, butter production is meeting domestic needs, and inventories are expected to build as post-holiday operations stabilize. Source: USDA AMS as of January 2 |
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Increasing Supply,
Moderating Demand |
Cheese production remains steady across all U.S. regions, though demand has softened as foodservice and retail buyers enter January with lighter orders and work through existing inventories. In the Central region, Class I Milk usage has been light due to school holidays but is expected to rebound as educational institutions reopen, which may lift foodservice activity. Western producers report steady operations and limited spot milk purchases, with many maintaining contractual volumes while foodservice and retail buyers remain cautious. Eastern markets are also seeing slower ordering as customers manage stock levels, though domestic foodservice demand is anticipated to pick up following the holiday lull. Export demand remains a key support for overall market balance. Source: USDA AMS as of January 2 |
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Class I - Increasing
Class II - Decreasing |
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Class I - Available - Steady Class II - Available - Steady |
Class I: Expecting a significant decrease in Milk costs for January.
Class II: Expecting Creams & Cultured costs to decreased slightly for January. |
| Oils/Shortening/Margarine |
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Available - Steady |
We do not expect to see much fluctuation in pricing on most oilseed products as we move through the first half of January. As there is yet to be any news on the final biofuel policy, trading levels have been relatively stable in recent days. Soy oil Products will likely remain the same. Canola and Peanut Oils are trading at higher levels than preferred due to demand outpacing supply to a small degree, but will likely maintain similar pricing levels to those seen recently as we move through the month. Palm Oil pricing (Cube Shortening and Margarine) will remain similar to slightly lower in a few markets as we move into Mid-Month.
Tallow prices will remain steady (albeit very high) as well. We do expect high prices and tight supply on tallow for the long-term. |
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Lower - Iceberg, Romaine, Strawberries, Lemons
Steady - Avocados, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Onions, Tomatoes, Idaho Russets
Higher - Apples, Oranges |
Improving/Steady - Strawberries
Good/Steady - Avocados, Tomatoes, Iceberg, Romaine, Lemons, Broccoli, Bell Peppers, Onions, Idaho Russets
Short/Strong - Small Apples, Small Oranges |
Apples, WA volumes are well below earlier projections, pushing the market up. Reduced supplies of small foodservice 125/138ct apples.
Avocados, MX market steady at low costs. Peaking on 48/60ct sizes.
Bell Peppers, FL & MX good supplies. Reds are elevated.
Broccoli, supplies snug, but market steady. Good quality.
Iceberg, supplies promotable! Weights 39-43 lbs. Good quality.
Romaine, Yuma 24ct & Hearts ample supplies. Above avg. quality.
Tomatoes, FL good supplies of Rounds & Romas. Market steady.
Strawberries, plentiful from all areas. Good quality
Oranges, Rains resulted in large fruit. Navel sizing, peak on 56-88ct.
Lemons, new area harvest starting, costs easing.
Onions, WA/ID/OR sound quality. Yellow & Red steady. White higher. ID Potato Russets 100/110/120 tight. Market steady. Top quality. |
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Available - Steady |
Domestic Sugar prices on both beet and cane did show some decreases as we moved through 2025. The new crop harvest will wrap up in the coming weeks (January). The harvested tonnage appears to offer expected yields. Based on such, look for pricing to remain near current levels as we move into 2026 on both cane and beet products.
Based on the solid supply levels of domestic raw materials, it is likely that imports from Mexico will remail low as we move into 2026 and through the first quarter of the year. The domestic crop will nicely supply our Foodservice demand at competitive prices. |
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Increasing Supply, Decreasing Demand |
Shell egg demand has weakened following the holidays, with foodservice and retail movement slowing as supplies remain moderate to heavy. Foodservice channels continue to report light to moderate buying activity, reflecting cautious replenishment and a weaker undertone across loose, cartoned, and processed egg categories. Within the processing sector, liquid and frozen egg products used by restaurants and institutional buyers face very light demand, leading to slower trading and reduced production schedules. Breaking and processing operations, key for foodservice supply, were down significantly for the week as firms managed larger inventories. Despite recent avian influenza outbreaks affecting both caged and cage-free flocks, cage-free and free-range types continue to dominate retailer and foodservice interest going into the new year. Source: USDA AMS as of January 7 |
| Wheat (Flour Based Products) |
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Available - Steady |
Domestic wheat supply is in solid position and demand is as expected for early in the year. Concerns over limited supply coming out of Ukraine have pushed up International trading levels on wheat. This is now impacting pricing on domestic flour and other wheat based products. We will likely see some slight price increases in such pricing as we move later into the month. The duration of this situation is yet unknown. |
| All UniPro Foodservice Sales Market Insights information is based on domestic US market data only, unless indicated otherwise. The UniPro Foodservice Market Sales Insights update is not a recommendation to buy or sell a commodity. While this update is based on sources we believe to be reliable and accurate, UniPro Foodservice does not guarantee the accuracy of the information presented. |
