Halal Market Report — Nov 16–22, 2026

Halal Market Report

Week of

Nov 16–22, 2026

What moved this week

• Florida tomatoes broke. Rounds are now cheaper than Romas. Last week we said Romas were the cheapest fresh tomato per pound. That’s no longer true. Florida West mature greens fell from $57.35 to $35.35 a carton between last Friday and Thursday (about $1.41/lb, down $0.88) as the new Ruskin–Palmetto crop came on. Central and South Florida dropped to $41.35 (about $1.65/lb, down $0.40). Romas didn’t follow: Texas large is about $1.62/lb (down $0.02) and Otay extra-large about $1.68 (down $0.04). Move salad, plate and burger slicing to Florida rounds this week. Keep the price increases you already took, because Mexican vine-ripes are still about $3.00/lb and USDA calls that supply very light, but don’t add new ones. Canned is still the answer for anything cooked.
• Romaine finally broke. Last week’s call was right. Western Arizona romaine fell to $28.75–31.75 (about $0.76/lb, down $0.17). At Hunts Point, California 24s dropped from $60 to mostly $38 (about $0.95/lb, down $0.55). Desert iceberg slipped to about $0.61/lb (down $0.07); Hunts Point iceberg held at $38–42. Green leaf fell hardest, to about $1.71/lb (down $0.38). USDA expects desert romaine volume to keep rising. If your distributor is still billing romaine near last week’s price, ask for the new market. Carton weights are still light, so real cost per pound is higher than these numbers.
• Avocados are still tight. Peppers and jalapeños are climbing. There was no New York avocado quote this week, and Mexican Hass through Texas was still too thin for USDA to price on Monday. Chicago 48s traded $60–61 Thursday (about $2.42/lb); Los Angeles was $43–45, so the West Coast is easing first. Last week’s call stands: charge for guacamole and avocado add-ons, or pull them, through Thanksgiving. Georgia green bells rose to $30.35–32.35 at the farm (about $1.21/lb, up $0.08), and Hunts Point jumped to $38–40. Georgia jalapeños at Hunts Point went from $24–26 to $38–40 (about $1.56/lb, up $0.56) as Georgia finishes; Mexican jalapeños through Texas are $25–27. Ask for Mexican or Florida jalapeños.
• Beef kept sliding. Chicken is waiting on Friday’s report. The Choice cutout fell $3.97 from last Thursday. Brisket fell $0.17/lb, inside rounds $0.18/lb and outside rounds $0.04/lb. 81% ground beef was unchanged. Nogales is still scheduled to reopen to Mexican cattle Nov 30 if inspections are in place. Australian frozen lamb shoulder, the shawarma cut, fell $0.21 to $5.65/lb; frozen boneless leg rose $0.21 to $6.17. USDA’s weekly chicken report posts Friday afternoon, so the chicken rows carry last week’s prices: breast $1.10, thighs $1.70, wings $1.07. Keep buying chicken week to week.
• Cheese bounced. Butter and milk powder fell. CME blocks jumped to $1.68 Wednesday, then fell 6¢ to $1.62 Thursday, still 5¼¢ above last Friday. Last week we called a window to price mozzarella and cheddar, and that was right. If you didn’t lock, don’t chase a market that moves 6¢ in a day. Barrels eased to $1.665 (down 3½¢), butter to $1.2325 (down 3¼¢), and nonfat dry milk fell almost 15¢ to $2.05, which helps yogurt costs. Eggs, seafood and pantry had no new read by Thursday; those rows hold last week’s figures.

Rising / HighWatchSteadyEasing / Value

Produce

17 items

Avocados (Hass)

No NY quote; Chicago 48s $60–61, ~$2.42/lb; Texas FOB unquotable

HIGH

Bell peppers, green

GA jumbo $30.35–32.35, ~$1.21/lb, +$0.08; NY $38–40

RISING

Cilantro

Central Coast 60s $20.55–22.75, unchanged; NY Mexico $24–26

STEADY

Cucumbers

Texas medium ~$0.42/lb, unchanged; Nogales ~$0.36/lb, unchanged

STEADY

Eggplant

GA medium ~$0.40/lb, unchanged; Nogales 18s now ~$0.36/lb

GOOD VALUE

Garlic, peeled (fresh)

NY Spain $14–15, China $14–17 per USDA pack; unchanged

STEADY

Ginger

NY China 30-lb ~$26, ~$0.87/lb, unchanged; Brazil $32–34

STEADY

Jalapeños

NY Georgia $38–40, ~$1.56/lb, +$0.56; Mexico via Texas $25–27

RISING

Lettuce, green leaf

W. Arizona ~$1.71/lb, −$0.38; NY California $38–42

EASING

Lettuce, iceberg

W. Arizona ~$0.61/lb, −$0.07; Hunts Point $38–42, unchanged

EASING

Lettuce, romaine

W. Arizona ~$0.76/lb, −$0.17; Hunts Point 24s ~$0.95/lb, −$0.55

EASING

Limes

FOB ~$0.73/lb, unchanged; 175–200s slightly higher

STEADY

Mangoes

Philadelphia import prices unchanged

GOOD VALUE

Onions, red + yellow

yellow ~$0.22/lb, red ~$0.38/lb; both about unchanged

GOOD VALUE

Spinach

Central Coast 24s $16.45–18.90, unchanged; desert starts wk of Nov 22

STEADY

Tomatoes, Roma

Texas large ~$1.62/lb, −$0.02; Otay XL ~$1.68, −$0.04; Florida ~$1.65

HIGH

Tomatoes, round (fresh)

FL mature greens ~$1.41/lb, −$0.88; Otay 5x5 ~$2.20, −$0.65; Texas vine-ripes ~$3.00

EASING

Meats · halal

13 items

Beef brisket

120 deckle-off, −$0.17/lb

EASING

Beef, ground

81% unchanged; 85% no trades Thu

STEADY

Beef inside round 168

−$0.18/lb

EASING

Beef outside rnd 171B

−$0.04/lb

EASING

Chicken breast, BL/SL

$1.10/lb last week; new USDA read due Fri

GOOD VALUE

Chicken leg

bone-in legs $0.76/lb, drums $0.56/lb (last week)

STEADY

Chicken tenders

$1.13/lb (last week)

STEADY

Chicken thigh, BL/SL

$1.70/lb (last week); $0.60/lb over breast

STEADY

Chicken wings

$1.07/lb (last week)

STEADY

Gyro cone (beef & lamb)

Aus. frozen lamb shoulder $5.65/lb, −$0.21; beef rounds down

WATCH

Lamb, ground

$8.96/lb (last week; no new read)

HIGH

Lamb leg, BRT

no new domestic read; Aus. frozen bnls leg $6.17/lb, +$0.21

HIGH

Whole chicken (WOG)

$1.17/lb (last week)

STEADY

Seafood

5 items

Asian white shrimp P&D

no new read; US oversupplied, Ecuador weather a Dec–Feb risk

STEADY

Branzino (sea bass)

no new Mediterranean quote; bream still the pricier swap

WATCH

Cod

no new read; Iceland large cod hit a record ~$3.60/lb last week

RISING

Salmon fillet (Atlantic, farmed)

no new read; Norway export ~$3.64/lb whole (wk 44)

STEADY

Tilapia

no new quote

WATCH

Dairy

8 items

Cheddar Jack, fancy shred

blocks $1.62/lb Thu, +$0.05 vs last Fri; hit $1.68 Wed

WATCH

Eggs, large (shell)

no new read; last NY cartoned $0.85/dz

RISING

Feta

no new list price; Greek sheep-milk shortage continues

RISING

Monterey Jack, fancy shred

blocks Mon–Thu avg ~$1.62/lb, +$0.04

WATCH

Mozzarella

barrels $1.665/lb, −$0.035

EASING

Paneer

milk inputs soft; no new Class III price

STEADY

Plain yogurt (Greek)

NFDM $2.05/lb Thu, −$0.15

EASING

Sour cream

butter $1.2325/lb, −$0.03

GOOD VALUE

Pantry & bread

4 items

Basmati rice

no new FOB quote; paddy +53% y/y

RISING

Chickpeas (canned)

no new canned or India kabuli quote

WATCH

Cooking oil (soybean)

no new read; last: Dec board at 8-month low

EASING

Naan / pita

no new read; last KC wheat $6.32½/bu

EASING

Prepared Fri Nov 13, 2026 — market data through Thu Nov 12 (Western Arizona lettuce and most shipping-point produce through Mon Nov 9). Benchmarks: USDA Market News & CME (conventional wholesale); halal proteins run above quoted marks. All prices in US dollars; changes are week over week. Tomatoes compare USDA’s Nov 12 shipping-point report to Nov 6. No New York avocado quote this week, so Chicago terminal is shown. Produce per-pound figures use standard USDA pack weights, and carton weights are running light, so true cost per pound is higher. Beef values are from Thursday’s daily USDA report; Australian lamb from USDA’s Nov 9 imported report. Chicken, eggs, seafood, ground lamb and pantry rows repeat last week’s figures because USDA had not posted new weekly reads.