Mahi Mahi 

• Taiwan’s main season begins in May. 

• Portions are available though prices remain firm across all sizes. 

• Fillets and loins are in limited supply. 

Snow Crab 

• The Canadian season is underway with all areas actively fishing across Nova Scotia, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Newfoundland. 

• Pricing for Gulf and Newfoundland product is expected within the next couple of weeks. 

• The Gulf of St. Lawrence season will run approximately 4 to 5 weeks, with Newfoundland extending roughly 8 to 10 weeks. 

White Shrimp 

• Global supply remains steady with suppliers well diversified across India, Ecuador, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. 

• Shrimp continues to be one of the strongest protein options heading into spring and summer. 

Atlantic Salmon 

• Supply is tighter than typical due to stricter farming regulations and sea lice pressure in Norway and Chile. 

• Prices are elevated heading into peak spring grilling demand. 

• Buyers should avoid spot purchasing where possible. 

Lobster 

• Canadian spring fishing gets underway in May with New England product also becoming more active. 

• Early season pricing will be volatile, but supply is expected to improve through June and July. 

Tuna 

• Elevated fuel costs have reduced fishing effort in the Western and Central Pacific, tightening yellowfin and skipjack supply. 

• Loin and steak pricing has firmed and is expected to remain so through Q2. 

Cod and Whitefish 

• Quotas continue to tighten as North Atlantic stock recovery remains a regulatory priority. 

• Buyers relying on whitefish as a value protein should consider locking in supply ahead of summer. 

Scallops 

• Mid-Atlantic rotational area openings are providing solid supply relief heading into Q2. 

• Pricing remains stable relative to other premium seafood categories. 

Beef packers continue to limit processing capacity to minimize losses as margin compression remains an ongoing challenge. 

With high cattle costs exceeding boxed beef cutout values, prices will remain elevated for the foreseeable future. 

Heavier carcass weights continue to partially offset reduced slaughter levels. 

With cattle on feed longer, grading for choice, premium, and prime remains strong. Availability for lower grades such as Select continues to be limited, supporting higher prices. 

• Ribeye: Pricing has decreased following the Easter holiday but is poised to increase as the summer grilling season approaches. 

• Striploin: Pricing remains exceptionally strong and is nearly on par with ribeye values. 

• Chuck Flat: Pricing will decrease in April before rising again in May as overall chuck complex demand remains strong. 

• Chuck Roll: Prices will ease slightly in April but remain elevated as retailers continue to feature chuck items prominently. 

• Short Ribs: Sliced beef short rib pricing has increased due to limited raw material availability. 

• Oxtail: Prices remain steady despite tight cattle supplies and consistent strong demand. 

With slaughter levels down year-over-year, availability remains an ongoing challenge for certain cuts as strong consumer demand persists. 

With high beef prices, retailers continue to feature poultry prominently in their ad features. 

Overall poultry demand remains strong, though prices have taken a brief pause from the weekly increases seen in March. 

• Bone-In Thighs: Availability remains tight as retailers feature BI thighs heavily, but prices have been steady for the past few weeks. 

• Boneless Skinless Thighs: Prices remain elevated as the dark meat complex continues to be strong. 

• Leg Meat: Prices continue to increase and are almost even with thigh meat pricing. 

• Breast Meat: Prices have started to decrease but remain at elevated levels. 

• Wings: Prices remain steady but are showing some weakness as we approach the warmer summer months. 

• Turkey: Prices remain high due to tight supplies and the ongoing impact of HPAI bird flu affecting turkey flocks. 

With beef prices remaining elevated, poultry continues to be the protein of choice for consumers seeking value and affordability. 

 Pork continues to present good value for both the retail and food service segments as a lower cost protein option than beef.  

Retail demand for lower cost proteins such as sausages, hot dogs, canned meats, etc. remains strong amongst budget conscious consumers.  

• Butts– Boneless butt pricing has been increasing as high beef prices have supported strengthening pork demand.   

• Hams– Ham demand remains firm, supported primarily by strong export demand to Mexico.    

• Back Ribs & Spare Ribs- Rib prices remain under pressure as pork packers continue to build up their frozen inventory in preparation for summer. 

• Bellies- Belly pricing has strengthened due to increased seasonal demand at the retail level. Danish pork belly pricing remains at elevated levels as Japan continues to book inventory amidst the outbreak of ASF (African Swine Flu) in Spain. 

Pork Outlook – With high beef prices, retailers are expected to continue to feature pork heavily in future ad features.   

Dairy 

• Domestic milk production is running below year-ago levels, tightening supply across butter and cheese. 

• Butter pricing is particularly elevated on strong export interest. 

• Input costs including energy and feed continue to pressure margins throughout the supply chain. 

Grains and Wheat 

• The fertilizer price spike stemming from the Strait of Hormuz disruption, with urea prices rising sharply in recent months, is adding significant cost pressure to the upcoming corn and wheat planting season. 

• Buyers of bread, pasta, and grain-based products should anticipate upward price pressure in the back half of 2026. 

Produce and Vegetables 

• Fuel and freight increases are flowing through to fresh and frozen produce pricing. 

• Domestic spring growing regions coming online should provide some seasonal relief. 

• Imported produce from Mexico and Central America is carrying higher landed costs due to fuel surcharges and logistics delays. 

Cooking Oils

• Soybean oil supply is adequate domestically, but palm oil has been impacted by shipping disruptions out of Southeast Asia. 

• Canola oil pricing remains firm on strong crush margins and export demand. 
• Buyers of frying oils and oil-based ingredients should review contract coverage and consider forward positions where possible. 

Plastics and Packaging 

• The oil price spike has added direct cost pressure across films, trays, bottles, and bags. 

• Resin prices have moved higher across polyethylene and polypropylene categories. 

• Buyers should review contract coverage and consider forward buying where lead times allow. 

Nitrile Gloves 

• The market had been stable following post-pandemic oversupply, but two suppliers have flagged tightening availability potentially linked to petrochemical feedstock pressures from the Strait of Hormuz disruption. 

• Published data has not yet confirmed a broad scarcity trend, but buyers are advised to monitor lead times and avoid running lean on inventory through Q2 and Q3. 

• The conflict around the Strait of Hormuz, responsible for roughly 21% of global oil flow, has triggered one of the most significant energy supply disruptions in recent history, with analysts and major institutions pointing to severe impacts on global oil and LNG markets. 
• Although a ceasefire has been announced, ship traffic remains low and Brent Crude prices, which spiked sharply earlier this year, remain well above pre-conflict levels. 

• Major ocean carriers have implemented emergency fuel surcharges, and route diversions are adding cost and delay throughout the supply chain. 

• Higher energy, shipping, and packaging costs typically take 6 to 12 months to fully pass through to consumer prices, meaning meaningful relief is still months away.