Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce Most produce markets are relatively calm, but iceberg lettuce is standing out. Supplies remain snug, and pricing has climbed for four straight weeks, with cartons recently averaging around $16.95, up from $14.95 the prior week. Regional transition issues continue to limit relief. Outlook: Lettuce costs could remain choppy in the short term, so this is one category worth monitoring closely for menu-heavy operators.   Grains Corn, soybean, and wheat markets were mostly quiet heading into one of the most important USDA reporting windows of the season. Corn acreage expectations are sitting near 95 million acres, while soybean acreage is projected closer to 83.7 million acres, both of which could move markets depending on final government estimates. Outlook: Grain volatility may increase quickly as traders digest updated acreage and stock data, which could eventually affect feed and ingredient costs.   Dairy Dairy markets softened again

Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce Lettuce prices continued climbing due to ongoing supply challenges, while tomato prices are showing normal seasonal increases after returning to more typical levels. Most other produce markets remained relatively stable. Outlook: Lettuce will likely stay elevated until supplies recover, while tomatoes may continue a gradual seasonal climb through mid-July.   Grains Grain markets were mixed, with corn, soybeans, and wheat showing signs of stabilizing after recent declines, while soybean oil continued to weaken. Overall, markets remain influenced by energy prices and crop expectations. Outlook: Grain markets are expected to remain volatile, but current trends suggest limited upward price pressure in the near term.   Dairy CME spot activity was active but most dairy markets trended lower for the week; nonfat dry milk hit near three-month lows as buyers delay purchases expecting cheaper prices, while butter has shown unexpected firmness despite lower international prices. U.S.

Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce With tomatoes, yellow onions and avocados easing, lettuce—especially 24-count iceberg—became the main price story as multiple supply gaps pushed prices to a year-to-date high and created unusually volatile early‑year pricing. Supply constraints in both western and eastern growing regions have kept upward pressure on iceberg. Outlook: Buying pressure for lettuce should remain short term (1–2 weeks); broader relief likely won’t arrive until supply gaps close later in the season.   Grains Grain losses slowed last week; wheat even ticked higher after touching its 100‑day moving average, soybeans largely held ground, and corn rallied early in the week before pressure resumed on Thursday after larger South American production estimates and good U.S. rainfall. December soybean oil is testing the $70 area and remains vulnerable to macro or geopolitical headlines that could send prices lower. Outlook: Volatility remains likely—watch South American crop estimates, U.S. weather, and

Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce Avocado prices surged more than 80% in the past two weeks to their highest level since May 2025 due to an early end to Mexico’s main harvest, with relief expected late in the month; 24-count iceberg lettuce showed a slight bounce but is expected to stay near the $20/carton level through summer before the typical September/October surge. Outlook: Avocado buying pressure should ease later this month as the Loca harvest begins earlier than usual, while lettuce prices remain range-bound near $20/carton for most of the summer.   Grains The grains sell-off continued, with soybeans joining the losses and weighing on soybean oil’s rally; corn declined amid shifting Corn Belt weather forecasts, with solid underlying demand even as the July contract approached $4.20. Outlook: Corn may find technical support and attempt a bounce, but negative momentum could push prices toward $4 before stabilization.   Dairy

Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce Tomatoes, lettuce, and onions continue to ease from earlier highs, though the pace of decline for tomatoes has slowed. Potatoes and 48-count Hass avocados showed renewed price strength. This uptick in potato prices is occurring earlier than the typical summer rally as old-crop supplies tighten. Avocado prices have jumped as Mexico’s main crop winds down earlier than normal, though other origins may fill some supply gaps. Outlook: Expect further upside for potatoes and avocados into the summer before new-crop supplies arrive (potatoes) or Mexico’s next harvest begins (avocados); tomatoes and lettuce should normalize gradually.   Grains Grains were mostly lower last week. However, soybean oil (SBO) has rallied for five consecutive sessions and cleared the ~$75/cwt resistance level. Further technical upside faces historic highs from 2022 and likely requires crude oil support to extend materially. Soybeans themselves showed little direction. Outlook: SBO could see

Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce Produce markets were quieter last week as tomato, onion, and lettuce prices continued easing from recent highs. Roma tomato pricing has now fallen to its lowest point since March, while onion and lettuce markets are also gradually normalizing. Attention is beginning to shift toward avocados, where an earlier-than-usual crop transition in Mexico and weaker upcoming supply projections are expected to create tighter market conditions. Outlook: Operators should continue seeing some relief on tomatoes, onions, and lettuce over the next several weeks. Avocados, however, could become one of the more pressured produce categories this summer, with pricing expected to remain elevated through the seasonal crop transition.   Grains Grain markets were relatively quiet last week, with much of the movement tied to broader energy market activity and geopolitical developments. Early optimism surrounding a new U.S.-China agricultural purchase agreement briefly lifted corn markets, but prices quickly

Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce Significant price relief is emerging for key produce items. Tomato prices have dropped sharply due to new supplies from the Eastern U.S. and Mexico, with 25 lb. large romas expected to return to the $10-$15/carton range by late June. Onion markets are stabilizing as the transition from old storage crops to new ones in California and New Mexico is underway, with a sharp price downturn anticipated in the coming weeks. Lettuce prices remain historically elevated after an April surge but are expected to normalize by the end of May, with 24-count iceberg cartons projected to be in the $15-$20 range by mid-June. Outlook: Expect further price reductions for tomatoes and onions through June, with moderating lettuce costs by mid-June. This presents an opportune time to plan aggressive summer promotions for salads, BLTs, and other produce-forward dishes as availability improves.   Grains The May Crop

Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce Lettuce, onions, and tomatoes remained the biggest pricing stories in produce last week. Onion markets were mostly flat to lower, signaling prices may be nearing their peak sooner than expected. Iceberg lettuce remains elevated with limited supply relief expected until later this month, while tomato prices continued climbing despite early signs of improving supply conditions. Outlook: Operators may start to see some relief on onions first, while lettuce and tomatoes could remain volatile through at least the remainder of May. Produce buyers should continue monitoring markets closely and stay flexible with menu planning where possible.   Grains Corn, soybean, and wheat markets all moved lower last week, reversing most of the prior week’s rally. Easing fertilizer concerns tied to geopolitical developments helped pressure markets overall. Wheat prices fell despite ongoing concerns surrounding lower yields and crop abandonment in Kansas, one of the country’s largest

Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce Produce costs remain elevated, with roma tomatoes surpassing $40 and iceberg lettuce continuing to climb past earlier highs. Onion prices are also at peak levels, particularly for red and white varieties. Outlook: Relief may begin mid-May as new supply comes online, but near-term pricing will stay elevated. Flexibility on menus will be key.   Grains Grain markets moved modestly higher, with soybeans seeing slight gains after more than a month of flat activity, largely driven by soybean oil strength. Outlook: Momentum feels uncertain. Without new demand drivers, expect continued volatility rather than sustained increases.   Dairy Dairy markets were mixed, with butter slipping slightly and now trading below cheese—a shift not consistently seen since 2021. Cheese markets are stabilizing as global pricing begins to rebalance. Outlook: Butter may be nearing a floor, but strong production and softer demand will likely keep prices from climbing

Alerts & What’s Trending   Produce Tomatoes are holding high, while iceberg lettuce is spiking again due to supply gaps during the Yuma-to-Salinas transition. Onion volatility is being driven by white onions, though the spike is expected to be short-lived. Weather disruptions and uneven regional supply are continuing to drive short-term price swings across key items. Outlook: Lettuce is the key watch item with more upside risk before stabilizing. Onion markets should normalize soon, offering some relief in the near term.   Grains Wheat remains the headline mover as drought conditions intensify in key growing regions, despite some expected rainfall. Soybeans were quieter after recent volatility, but the broader grain complex trended positive. Drought severity is increasing in already-impacted areas, adding pressure to yield expectations. Outlook: Wheat prices could stay elevated in the near term due to worsening drought conditions. Longer term, weaker export demand may start to ease pressure.