Halal Market Report — Oct 19–25, 2026

Halal Market Report

Week of

Oct 19–25, 2026

What moved this week

• Romaine tripled in three weeks, and it isn't done. Salinas 24s went from $18.55–21.75 on Sept 28 to mostly $67.75–69.90 on Friday, another 20% over last week's $55.75–58.45. Hearts 12x3 are mostly $69.75–72.75. Santa Maria, last week's cheap buy, jumped to mostly $40.55–42.55, with hearts at $50.55–52.35. The problem is in the fields: light weights, tip burn, high core, insects and INSV. Suppliers are warning of prorates, so expect short-filled orders, not just higher invoices.
• Swapping lettuces won't save you. Swapping origins will. Salinas green leaf ($60.55–63.75), red leaf, Boston and iceberg ($69.75–72.55) are priced right alongside romaine. The relief is closer to home: at Hunts Point on Friday, Ontario romaine was $20–22 and New York green leaf $14–16. California romaine was still $40–42 there, but that's well under the $68-plus shipping-point market and unlikely to last. First Arizona quotes are expected around Nov 1, with the full desert transition around Nov 16–23, so plan on about five more weeks: ask your rep for Canadian or local product, lighten romaine portions, and hold salad prices only if you've done both. No active romaine recall as of Friday.
• Tomatoes jumped. Mexico vine ripes went from mostly $26–28 on Oct 13 to $35–38.95 on Friday, and East Tennessee mature greens from $25.35 to $35.35. California greens are mostly finished, and Georgia and Florida are about three weeks out. Expect tight supply until then.
• Cheese ripped higher. The cheap window is closing. CME blocks rallied 29.75¢ on the week to $1.6825, up from a six-year low of $1.2750 on Sept 29. Barrels rose 16.75¢ to $1.62. Last week the call flipped to buy; this week, lock mozzarella and shred contracts before the rally reaches your invoice. Butter bounced 9¢ to $1.365 off its Oct 8 low of $1.25, the lowest since February 2021, and is still cheap.
• Beef rounds eased; chicken thighs ran again. Choice inside round 168 fell $7.07 to $371.42 and outside round 171B fell $7.30 to $384.23, even as October live cattle added another $2.58 to $227.55. That's a breather, not a trend: buy what you need, don't build inventory on it. Boneless thighs jumped 5.4¢ to 173.3¢, now 56¢ over breast at 116.9¢, the best-value boneless cut on the board.

Rising / High Watch Steady Easing / Value

Produce

14 items

Avocados (Hass)

40s mostly $24–26, 48s $22–24 FOB; NY $32

STEADY

Bell peppers, green

GA jumbo mostly $22–24 FOB, softer; CA too light

WATCH

Cilantro

Central Coast 60s $18–21; Mexico $16–17

EASING

Cucumbers

Mexico medium $21–23 FOB; Nogales opening $17–19

STEADY

Eggplant

GA medium mostly $14.35–16.35 FOB; steady

GOOD VALUE

Garlic, peeled (fresh)

Spain 5-lb jar $14–15 NY; China $16–17

STEADY

Ginger

Brazil 30-lb $26–28 NY; China mostly $28–30

STEADY

Jalapeños

Mexico $30–33 FOB, $38–40 NY; GA $22–24

HIGH

Limes

110s $26–28 FOB, $38–40 NY; large sizes short

WATCH

Mangoes

Tommy 6–8s $12–13; 12s mostly $8

STEADY

Onions, red + yellow

yellow jumbo $11–15; red 25-lb $10–12

GOOD VALUE

Romaine lettuce

Salinas 24s mostly $67.75–69.90 — up 20% again

RISING

Spinach

Central Coast 24s mostly $11.65–14.75; lower

GOOD VALUE

Tomatoes, round (fresh)

vine ripes $35–39, from $26–28; short ~3 weeks

RISING

Meats · halal

12 items

Beef brisket

120 deckle-off $413.05; Choice primal $292.58

STEADY

Beef, ground

85% chub $405.32, flat; 90% lean $481.55

HIGH

Beef inside round 168

Choice 3-trim $371.42, −$7.07 on the week

EASING

Beef outside rnd 171B

$384.23, −$7.30; out of the $390s

EASING

Chicken breast, BL/SL

116.9¢, −1.8¢; best-value boneless cut

GOOD VALUE

Chicken leg, BL/SL

no public B/S quote; bone-in legs 76.0¢, −0.3¢

STEADY

Chicken thigh, BL/SL

173.3¢, +5.4¢; now 56¢ over breast

RISING

Chicken wings

109.4¢, −1.2¢; the seasonal climb paused

WATCH

Gyro cone (beef & lamb)

lamb firm, 50% beef trim ~$89; cone cost flat

WATCH

Lamb, ground

$912.13/cwt, +$2.82; holding above $900

HIGH

Lamb leg, BRT

$999.96/cwt; Australian frozen leg ~41% under

HIGH

Whole chicken (WOG)

116.2¢, +0.3¢; NY 114.4¢, quiet

STEADY

Seafood

5 items

Asian white shrimp P&D

US spot still soft; India farm-gate at 12-mo high

GOOD VALUE

Branzino (sea bass)

Milan prices fell after the spike; Turkish supply thin

WATCH

Cod

off the record peak; buyers' market; 2027 supply +6.5%

EASING

Salmon fillet (Atlantic, farmed)

Norway export (whole) $3.51/lb, −1.6% w/w

EASING

Tilapia

China prices up after Golden Week; farmers holding

RISING

Dairy

8 items

Cheddar Jack, fancy shred

blocks $1.6825, +29.75¢; off the six-year low

RISING

Eggs, large (shell)

loose 29¢/dz, −14¢; NY cartoned 76¢

GOOD VALUE

Feta

Greek list prices +5–9% from Oct 1; more coming

RISING

Monterey Jack, fancy shred

tracks blocks $1.6825; weekly avg +19¢

RISING

Mozzarella

blocks up 41¢ off the Sept low; lock contracts

RISING

Paneer

Oct Class III futures $15.28; Nov $17.25

WATCH

Plain yogurt (Greek)

NFDM $2.1625, −10.5¢; still near record

HIGH

Sour cream

butter $1.365, +9¢ off a Feb-2021-level low

GOOD VALUE

Pantry & bread

4 items

Basmati rice

basmati paddy 40–50% over last year; exports hot

RISING

Chickpeas (canned)

no fresh USDA quote this week; hold

STEADY

Cooking oil (soybean)

Dec board 67.1¢, −0.9¢; WASDE holds 70¢

STEADY

Naan / pita

KC wheat $7.04, 3-month low; US stocks raised

EASING

Prepared Sun Oct 18, 2026 — market data through Fri Oct 16. Benchmarks: USDA Market News & CME (conventional wholesale); halal proteins run above quoted marks.