The Market Exhale 😌📉🍗

After weeks of rising costs, the markets are finally taking a breather. Beef is still tight, chicken is easing, pork bellies are drifting lower, and dairy might be finding its bottom. It’s not a full cooldown, but it feels like the first exhale in a long while.

BEEF: Harvest ticked up to 561K head, but most cuts are easing lower – a welcome shift after months of pressure. Middle meats like ribeyes and tenderloins remain stubbornly high, and with the holidays ahead, record pricing could be in play. The real question: how long before consumer pushback forces this market to blink?

POULTRY: Production is still running hot – over 7 billion chickens processed this year – but now supply is outpacing demand, pushing prices down across wings, breasts, and tenders. The seasonal dip isn’t unusual, but the size of these price drops is worth watching. Meanwhile, avian flu is stirring again with seven new turkey cases, hinting the calm streak may be over.

GRAINS: Harvest is just beginning, with corn already 7% in – but prices are holding steady. Corn slipped slightly to $4.11, while soy and wheat stayed flat, with biofuel quotas on the horizon that could shift demand for soy. For now, it’s steady fields and steady markets – but will harvest season bring surprises?

PORK: Pork remains the best bang for your protein buck as beef prices stay sky-high. Bellies slipped again to $168, with more downside likely in the weeks ahead. Loins are still the standout value, while butts and ribs are just inching up – making this the season to menu pork.

DAIRY: Week five of declines has the CME looking softer, but this slide might be about done. Barrel dropped 4, block held steady, and butter tumbled another 15 – the steepest of the bunch. Are we finally at the bottom, or is there one more dip left?

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