Market Trends: Wholesale Pork Prices Finally Come Down, But Most Categories Increase
Get to know how food prices have changed and where they are going with your Market Trends Report. Each week we’ll show you how both Wholesale and Commodity prices have changed. We’ll also include an analysis of how we expect Wholesale prices to change over the coming weeks to help you make the best purchasing decisions, all for free.
Market Overview
We see the average Wholesale Price Index actually come down slightly, dropping 0.22%, but that is heavily driven by average Wholesale Pork prices finally dropping. Seven product categories saw significant increases. Pork Wholesale dropped 11% this week but is still 100% above where it was 12 months ago. Not surprisingly, Wholesale prices are up year over year across the board with Beef up 14%, Chicken up 13%, and Produce up 33%.
Shell Eggs (+7.94%) have the most significant increase this week followed by Beef Strip Loin (+4.56%), Fresh Onion (+4.45%), Fresh Lettuce (+4.33%), Fresh Potato (+1.82%), Ground Beef (+1.80%), and Cod (+1.10%). Many of these categories saw average Commodity prices fall, so next week this group will likely change.
Pork Loin average Wholesale price dropped 16.70% (!!!) and Pork Shoulder fell 4.21%. Average Wholesale prices were flat to slightly down in Chicken Breast (-0.81%), Chicken Wing (-0.59%), and Fresh Bell Pepper (-0.08%).
Average Commodity prices went up 0.81% this week but there is a lot of variability by category. Restaurant and food service operators need to keep an eye on their order guides and see what is happening with their specific products. There continue to be opportunities for deals with different Brands, so be on the lookout if your costs on certain products are getting out of control.
Wholesale Price Changes
| Category | 12 Months | 3 Months | 1 Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | -1.9% | +8.9% | -6.4% |
| Shell Eggs | +58.2% | +23.5% | +19.5% |
| Pork Loin | +201.3% | +35.2% | -6.9% |
| Pork Shoulder | +49.5% | +82.1% | +9.9% |
| Fresh Lettuce | +3.3% | +5.7% | +8.1% |
| Fresh Potatoes | +88% | +12.2% | -1.6% |
| Chicken Breast | +22.7% | +1.4% | -3.3% |
| Fresh Bell Pepper | +52.7% | -4.4% | -1.1% |
| Fresh Onion | +21.1% | -7.7% | +3.7% |
| Beef Strip Loin | +20.5% | +51.6% | +5.9% |
| Chicken Wing | +2.4% | -9.2% | -2.2% |
| Cod | +42.2% | +2% | -4.3% |
| Wholesale | +43.4% | +20.1% | +9.2% |
Category Trends
Ground Beef
Wholesale (+1.80%) increased as expected. A big drop in Commodity (-8.97%) should bring Wholesale down next week.
Shell Eggs
Commodity (+1.63%) is up but Wholesale (+7.94%) shot up even more. There are rumblings of a resurgence of avian flu, which could be affecting supply and driving prices up.
Pork Loin
Finally! Wholesale (-16.70%) comes down after weeks of increases. Commodity is up 2%. Look for Wholesale to be flat to up near term.
Pork Shoulder
Wholesale (-4.21%) finally moves with Commodity (-1.05%). There's still plenty of room for Wholesale to come down so expect it to be flat to down unless Commodity jumps.
Fresh Lettuce
Wholesale (+4.33%) jumps as expected and another increase in Commodity (+7.48%) points to more increases in the future.
Fresh Potatoes
Wholesale (+1.82%) continues to move away from Commodity (-5.21%). The drop is Commodity is big enough that we expect Wholesale to flatten out near term.
Chicken Breast
Wholesale (-0.81%) stayed flatter than expected with a slight increase in Commodity (+0.99%). News of more avian flu could start to drive these up, so definitely one to keep an eye on.
Fresh Bell Pepper
Commodity (-7.06%) dropped unexpectedly and kept Wholesale (-0.08%) flat. Expect Wholesale to be flat to up.
Fresh Onion
Wholesale (+4.45%) jumped while Commodity (-18.48%) crashed. That large of a drop in Commodity will bring Wholesale down at least temporarily.
Beef Strip Loin
You may want to look at other options that Strip Loin. Wholesale (+4.56%) continues to climb as Commodity (-1.56%) falls. This big of a gap should flatten Wholesale out in the coming weeks, but it is still up 50% in the past 3 months.
Chicken Wing
Wholesale (-0.59%) stayed relatively flat while we see the expected increase in Commodity (+4.59%). Wholesale will follow that trend next week.
Cod
Commodity (+18.15%) made back all of the drop from last week and that kept Wholesale (+1.10%) up this week. Look for Wholesale to be flat to up going forward.
If you want to easily compare prices on similar products as you shop, try our free Smart Shopping Assistant browser extension.