Halal Market Report — Nov 9–15, 2026

Halal Market Report

Week of

Nov 9–15, 2026

What moved this week

• Salinas is done. The desert took over, and iceberg followed it down. Romaine didn’t. Salinas filed its last lettuce report Friday; Western Arizona is now the lead district. Arizona iceberg trades mostly $32–35.75 (about $0.68/lb), romaine $35.50–38.75 (about $0.93/lb) and green leaf $40–43.75 (about $2.09/lb). That’s a district switch, not a same-field comparison, but the direction is real. At Hunts Point, California iceberg came in to $38–42 (about $0.76/lb, down $0.38). Romaine didn’t move: 24s are still $60 (about $1.50/lb). Last week’s call was half right. Buy iceberg now and push your supplier on romaine; it should ease as Yuma builds. Rain paused Yuma harvest and carton weights are light, so real cost per pound is higher than these numbers. No active lettuce recall as of Friday.
• Avocados nearly doubled in New York. A Michoacán harvest stoppage ran Oct 23–Nov 5. NY Mexican Hass 48s jumped to $60–70 a carton (about $2.60/lb, up $0.96), and Texas FOB was unquotable. Picking restarted Thursday, but refilling the pipeline takes 7–14 days, so expect tightness through Thanksgiving. Charge for guacamole and avocado add-ons, or pull them for two weeks.
• Romas rose again; vine-ripes eased a little. Otay Romas rose to about $1.70/lb (up $0.18) and Texas to about $1.64/lb (up $0.28). Texas vine-ripes slipped to about $3.00/lb (down $0.22), and mature greens to about $2.29/lb. Central and South Florida got their first quote of the season, but supply is very light and real volume is weeks away. Romas are still the cheapest fresh tomato per pound. Keep the tomato price increases you made, and use canned for anything cooked.
• Beef softened; chicken is flat. 81% ground beef fell $0.22/lb to $3.07, outside rounds fell $0.14 to $3.52 and brisket eased to $3.80. December live cattle dropped $6.90 on the week. Screwworm: Arizona confirmed a second case Nov 3, and USDA is still targeting Nov 30 to reopen Nogales to Mexican cattle. Chicken barely moved: breast $1.10, thighs $1.70, wings $1.07. Keep buying chicken week to week. Lamb was mixed: ground lamb fell $0.15 to $8.96, while Australian shoulder, the shawarma cut, rose $0.05 to $5.86.
• Cheese stayed down. Eggs went up. CME blocks closed Friday at $1.57/lb, 3¢ under last Friday, and averaged $1.58 for the week (down 13¢). Last week’s drop held all week, so this is a reasonable window to price mozzarella and cheddar. Barrels closed at $1.70 and butter at $1.27. Eggs jumped: NY cartoned large rose to $0.85/dozen (up $0.13). In pantry, wheat fell again (KC $6.32½/bu) and soybean oil hit an 8-month low.

Rising / HighWatchSteadyEasing / Value

Produce

17 items

Avocados (Hass)

NY 48s $60–70, ~$2.60/lb, +$0.96; Texas FOB unquotable

RISING

Bell peppers, green

GA jumbo $28.35–30.35, ~$1.13/lb, +$0.28; NY $34–36

RISING

Cilantro

Central Coast 60s mostly $20.55–22.75, +$1.90/ctn; NY Mexico $24–26, +$3

WATCH

Cucumbers

Texas medium ~$0.42/lb, −$0.02; Nogales ~$0.36/lb, +$0.11

WATCH

Eggplant

GA medium $12.35–14.35, ~$0.40/lb, −$0.03

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, −$0.10; Brazil $32–33, +$0.11

STEADY

Jalapeños

Mexico ~$1.25/lb, +$0.01; Georgia FOB unquotable, NY GA $24–26

WATCH

Lettuce, green leaf

Salinas closed; W. Arizona ~$2.09/lb; Hunts Point Quebec $42–45, unchanged

WATCH

Lettuce, iceberg

W. Arizona ~$0.68/lb; Hunts Point $38–42, ~$0.76/lb, −$0.38

EASING

Lettuce, romaine

W. Arizona ~$0.93/lb; Hunts Point 24s $60, ~$1.50/lb, about steady

HIGH

Limes

FOB ~$0.73/lb, unchanged; NY ~$0.98/lb, unchanged

STEADY

Mangoes

Tommy 6s $9.50–10.50, steady; 12s $5–7

GOOD VALUE

Onions, red + yellow

yellow ~$0.22/lb, −$0.02; red ~$0.38/lb, −$0.02

GOOD VALUE

Spinach

Central Coast 24s mostly $16.45–18.90, ~$0.74/bunch, +$0.16

RISING

Tomatoes, Roma

Otay ~$1.70/lb, +$0.18; Texas ~$1.64/lb, +$0.28

RISING

Tomatoes, round (fresh)

Texas vine-ripes ~$3.00/lb, −$0.22; Otay 5x5 ~$2.85; greens ~$2.29/lb, −$0.08

HIGH

Meats · halal

13 items

Beef brisket

120 deckle-off ~$3.80/lb, −$0.02

EASING

Beef, ground

85% ~$3.97/lb, −$0.05; 81% ~$3.07/lb, −$0.22

EASING

Beef inside round 168

~$3.55/lb, −$0.07

EASING

Beef outside rnd 171B

~$3.52/lb, −$0.14

EASING

Chicken breast, BL/SL

$1.10/lb, −$0.02; still the cheapest boneless cut

GOOD VALUE

Chicken leg

bone-in legs $0.76/lb, +$0.01; drums $0.56/lb, unchanged

STEADY

Chicken tenders

$1.13/lb, −$0.01

STEADY

Chicken thigh, BL/SL

$1.70/lb, unchanged; now $0.60/lb over breast

STEADY

Chicken wings

$1.07/lb, unchanged

STEADY

Gyro cone (beef & lamb)

Aus. lamb shoulder $5.86/lb, +$0.05; 50% beef trim $1.07/lb Fri

WATCH

Lamb, ground

$8.96/lb, −$0.15

HIGH

Lamb leg, BRT

$10.06/lb, +$0.02; Australian frozen leg $5.96/lb, −$0.09

HIGH

Whole chicken (WOG)

$1.17/lb, +$0.01; national whole bird $1.18/lb

STEADY

Seafood

5 items

Asian white shrimp P&D

US market oversupplied, Sept imports +12.6%; Ecuador weather a Dec–Feb risk

STEADY

Branzino (sea bass)

no new Mediterranean quote; bream still the pricier swap

WATCH

Cod

Iceland large cod hit a record ~$3.60/lb at auction

RISING

Salmon fillet (Atlantic, farmed)

Norway export ~$3.64/lb whole, −$0.04

STEADY

Tilapia

no new quote; last read was China raw-material prices up

WATCH

Dairy

8 items

Cheddar Jack, fancy shred

blocks $1.57/lb Fri, −$0.03 w/w; last week’s drop held

EASING

Eggs, large (shell)

loose $0.46/dz, +$0.11; NY cartoned $0.85/dz, +$0.13

RISING

Feta

no new list price; Greek sheep-milk shortage continues

RISING

Monterey Jack, fancy shred

weekly avg block $1.58/lb, −$0.13

EASING

Mozzarella

barrels $1.70/lb, −$0.03

EASING

Paneer

Oct Class III milk set at $15.16/cwt; milk inputs soft

STEADY

Plain yogurt (Greek)

NFDM $2.20/lb Fri; weekly avg rose

WATCH

Sour cream

butter weekly avg $1.29/lb, −$0.02

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)

Dec board hit an 8-month low, low 60s ¢/lb

EASING

Naan / pita

KC wheat $6.32½/bu, −11¾¢; flour still softening

EASING

Prepared Mon Nov 9, 2026 — market data through Fri Nov 6 (shipping-point produce through Fri Nov 6). Benchmarks: USDA Market News & CME (conventional wholesale); halal proteins run above quoted marks. All prices in US dollars; changes are week over week. Salinas closed Nov 6, so lettuce compares Western Arizona to last week’s Salinas. 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 Friday’s daily USDA report; Australian lamb from USDA’s Nov 2 imported report; salmon is Norway week 44.