Grocery Costs Snapshot: Produce Softens, Proteins Mixed Overall

Expect modest relief on several produce lines, mixed protein trends into holiday buying, and softer veg-oil costs — a good week to sharpen forward buys selectively.

grocery store vegetable aisles market produce 3410785-g.jpg

NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD-TV) — Seasonal shifts and supply quirks are tugging wholesale food costs in different directions — easing some fresh categories while keeping key proteins choppy. For produce buyers, several salad-bar staples are cheaper, helping menus and retail ads, while a few holiday-leaning items are tightening.

Leafy items are split — romaine and green leaf up on Salinas disease pressure, but iceberg down on added Huron supply. Broccoli and cauliflower fell sharply as earlier highs cooled demand; tomatoes (rounds, romas, grapes) trended lower. Red bells firmed; cucumbers, celery, and green beans moved higher. Potatoes and onions were steady, primarily to mixed; pears eased while several apple varieties gained. Avocados were mixed; citrus leaned softer (limes, early navels, lemons).

Beef grinds continued higher; strips and tenderloins firmed with ribs starting a holiday climb, while briskets and many chucks softened. Pork was mixed — loins and butts easing, tenders rallying, bellies ticking up, hams slightly lower. Chicken saw jumbo breast up, wings flat, thighs down; turkey breasts edged higher. Seafood was steady to firm for domestic shrimp, while imported shrimp rose on tariffs; Alaska snow crab quota nearly doubled. Edible oils weakened (soy), canola held modestly firmer, and palm slid; sugar offers stayed firm despite multi-year lows in global futures. Butter prices fell; shell eggs rose on HPAI headlines.

Farm-Level Takeaway: Expect modest relief on several produce lines, mixed protein trends into holiday buying, and softer veg-oil costs — a good week to sharpen forward buys selectively.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Expert
Related Stories
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) says recent wins in markets like Malaysia and Cambodia help farmers focus on production rather than trade barriers.
Lucia Ruano, USMEF’s Central America representative, discusses what is driving demand for U.S. beef and pork in the region.
Tyson expects another year of beef-segment losses due to tight cattle supplies, even as chicken, pork, and prepared foods strengthen overall margins.
A smaller U.S. turkey flock and resurgent avian flu have tightened supplies, driving prices higher even as other key holiday foods show mixed trends.
Experts highlight the importance of monitoring insecticide resistance in crops and improving disease traceability at livestock shows through RFID technology.
The DOJ’s new antitrust probe could reshape beef-packer behavior, with potential impacts on fed-cattle prices, processor margins, and long-term competition across the supply chain.
The Senate has cleared a path to reopen USDA, but full restoration of services depends on House approval and the President’s signature.
Tight cattle supplies keep prices high for ranchers, but policy shifts, export barriers, and packer losses signal a volatile road ahead for the beef supply chain.
Pork producers should prioritize health and productivity gains, hedge feed and hogs selectively, and watch Brazil’s export pace and China’s sow policy for price signals.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Export strength is concentrated in corn and wheat, while soybeans and sorghum lag, keeping basis and logistics dynamics highly commodity-specific into late fall.
Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF) interval selection—not just participation—drives protection levels as rainfall patterns become less predictable across the South.
If the House concurs and the President signs, USDA services and farm-bill programs resume at full speed with authorities extended for another year.
ARC/PLC, marketing loans, and crop insurance each matter at different points in the price cycle — and the new Farm Bill strengthens the balance among them.
Here is a regional snapshot of harvest pace, crop conditions, logistics, and livestock economics across U.S. agriculture for the week of Monday, October, 20, 2025.
Verified U.S. data show real leather’s carbon footprint is lower than advertised — an edge for the American cattle industry in both marketing and byproduct value.