| CATEGORY As of January 26, 2026 |
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NEAR-TERM MARKET PRICING TREND |
SUPPLY vs. DEMAND |
MARKET INSIGHTS COMMENTARY |
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Available - Mixed |
The boxed beef trade remains quiet. Packers continue to face challenges engaging customers and advancing their pricing agendas. Buyers are largely staying on the sidelines, with demand steady but showing little momentum. The seasonal Ribeye market appears to be approaching its bottom. In contrast, Chucks, Rounds, Ground Beef, and Thin Meats have been trading at elevated levels, helping to offset margin pressure and losses within the Rib complex. |
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Available - Steady |
The pork market this time of year traditionally is unremarkable across all items. Back and Spare ribs are stable, butts are on the decline, and the belly is on the rise (think input cost for bacon). Loins are price risk upward, but not sharply. |
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Available - Steady |
The belly price is on the rise now through the end of February, so bacon prices will follow. Now would be a good time to buy in extra bacon as the belly should be 30% higher by the end of February than it is now…so bacon pricing should follow the same trend. |
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Available - Steady |
The front half of the bird has started to increase in price. Demand has started to increase on Jumbo and medium wings, typical for this time of year as we head into Super Bowl and March Madness. Expect availability on wings to be short of demand. The back half of the bird remains steady and supply is broadly available. |
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Short – Strong |
Pricing on breast meat has remained steady, but 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 |
Seafood markets remain fragmented by species. Supply-driven strength continues in lobster, cod, and pollock amid tight availability and elevated replacement costs. Farmed salmon remains under pressure on fully adequate supply and muted demand. Shrimp and pasteurized crab are mixed as buyers remain selective. With Lent approaching, early positioning interest is emerging in traditional Lent items, but demand has not yet materially shifted overall market direction. |
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Available - Steady |
Domestic retail butter demand continues to exceed foodservice demand nationwide, with foodservice usage described as generally light or steady across regions. In the Central region, stakeholders specifically note that foodservice demand remains soft compared to stronger retail sales. Eastern and Western producers report stable domestic use overall, though their commentary centers primarily on retail activity rather than foodservice recovery. Butter production remains strong in all regions as manufacturers process ample cream supplies and manage balanced-to-tight inventories. Export demand varies, with continued international interest in higher butterfat products limiting the availability of some domestic bulk butter. Source: USDA AMS as of January 16 |
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Increasing Supply,
Moderating Demand |
Cheese production is steady to stronger nationwide, supported by ample milk supplies and firm domestic retail activity. In the East, production increases are tied to whey demand, while foodservice activity is not a key driver and remains largely steady to light. Central region cheesemakers report strong retail movement but note that foodservice sales are slower than expected, leading to continued spot milk availability. In the West, production is solid and foodservice demand ranges from light to steady, bolstered by ongoing strength from retail and further-processed food manufacturers. Across all regions, export interest is firm to strengthening, helping balance inventories despite varied domestic foodservice demand. Source: USDA AMS as of January 16 |
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Class I - Increasing
Class II - Decreasing |
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Class I - Available - Steady Class II - Available - Steady |
Class I: Significant decrease in Milk costs for January.
Class II: Creams & Cultured slight decrease for January. |
| Oils/Shortening/Margarine |
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Available - Steady |
Soybean Oil prices have increased in recent days and will likely stay elevated at least for the short term. This change is based on the fact that we have started exporting soybeans again and there is an expected announcement about the final ruling on the Biofuel policy in March. As both of these situations will impact domestic supply, Traders are pushing up the markets. This will translate to increases in the price most commodity oils as most other oils do follow the trend of Soy Oil. Though prices are impacted by these scenarios, there is still plenty of supply to cover our Foodservice needs through Summer.
Margarine prices have seen some recent increases based on lessening production in Indonesia and Malaysia. This is seasonal and is not unexpected. Longer term prices will likely remain elevated though as those countries impose their own biofuel policies and will continue to sell based on that stronger demand. Tariffs are also still impacting the price of imported Palm. This does impact Cube Shortenings in addition to Margarine.
The situation on Tallow has not changed. Prices remain at record highs based on demand outpacing supply. This situation is not likely to change anytime soon. |
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Decreasing - Iceberg, Romaine, Lemons
Steady - Avocados, Broccoli, Onions, Idaho Russets
Increasing - Small Apples, Strawberries, Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, small Oranges |
Increasing/Steady - n/a
Available/Steady - Avocados, Iceberg, Romaine, Lemons, Broccoli, Onions, Idaho Russets
Decreasing/Strong - small Apples, small Oranges, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, |
Apples, WA small foodservice 125/138ct apples limited & higher.
Avocados, MX market remains steady and low. Peaking on 48/60ct.
Bell Peppers, Green market up due to cold. Greenhouse Reds steady.
Broccoli, supplies improving, market easing. Good quality.
Iceberg, Yuma good supplies & weather. Wts. 39-43 lbs. Good quality.
Romaine, Yuma 24ct & Hearts ample supplies. Above avg. quality.
Tomatoes, cold in FL so light supplies of Rounds, MX Romas limited.
Strawberries, cold in FL has cut supplies. Average quality, market up.
Oranges, Navels peak 56-72ct. 113/138 scarce, sub (pink) Cara Caras.
Lemons, new area harvest starting, costs easing. 140/115 peak sizes.
Onions, WA/ID/OR sound quality. Yellow & Red steady. White higher. ID Potato Russets 100/120sz limited. Market steady. Top quality. |
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Available - Steady |
Bulk Sugar prices have held stable levels in recent weeks and we do not foresee any dramatic changes in the near future. Domestic availability of both beet and cane is strong at this time. We do expect limited imports of Mexican Sugar as we move through Spring. Thus, is expected that domestic cane will remain at competitive pricing levels. |
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Increasing Supply, Decreasing Demand |
Foodservice demand for eggs is holding mostly steady this week, with moderate interest across liquid, frozen, and dried egg products despite varied supply conditions. Breaking stock production surged to record levels, driven by processors increasing output after the holidays to meet ongoing foodservice and manufacturing needs. Liquid egg supplies remain moderate with stable undertones, supported by steady foodservice demand. Trading in processed egg forms such as frozen and dried eggs is moderate to active, reflecting consistent use by commercial and institutional buyers. Overall, while retail promotions have shifted toward organic shell eggs, the foodservice side shows resilient, stable demand with strong processing activity continuing to support the sector. Source: USDA AMS as of January 21 |
| Wheat (Flour Based Products) |
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Available - Steady |
Price levels on wheat have remained at elevated levels in recent weeks. This is due to limited world supply as Ukraine has been unable to export it's normal volume. Though the US has solid supply, we may experience increased exports if this situation remains longer-term. Price levels are expected to remain at these firmer levels as we move into February. Supply is solid and we do not expect to see product shortages in Foodservice. |
| 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. |
