A practical overview of the most important input-price moves and what food producers should consider when buying raw materials this week.
This week, the food commodity market split into two very different stories. On one side are raw materials where supply is tightening and prices are moving higher – especially cocoa and tapioca. On the other are commodities where the current decline is creating a buying window, mainly sugar, rapeseed oil and soybean meal.
For companies that buy raw materials regularly, this is not an academic price overview. What matters is knowing where it makes sense to lock in a price, where to spread purchases over time and where it may be better to wait for a stronger entry point.
Key market moves at a glance
Cocoa continues its rally: +6.8% week on week and a new all-time high.
Tapioca starch is rising for the fourth week in a row: +4.5% WoW, with further upside risk during the rainy season in Asia.
ICE white sugar fell by 4.2% WoW, opening a price-fixing window for bakeries, confectionery producers and beverage companies.
Rapeseed oil fell by 3.5% after the decline in crude oil. A good moment to replenish stocks.
Soybean meal lost 2.0%, which is especially relevant for feed producers.
Cocoa: prices are pushing producers into faster decisions
The price of cocoa on London ICE has broken through long-term highs. The main drivers are weather concerns in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, a combination of heat, irregular rainfall and declining global stocks. For producers of chocolate, pralines, cocoa preparations or ice cream, waiting has become riskier than gradual price fixing. The price is higher than a year ago, but with the current momentum it may still be better than the price several weeks from now.
A reasonable strategy for this week:
1. lock in the main volume for 3 to 6 months if your consumption is clear,
2. if demand is uncertain, split purchases into smaller intervals,
3. for price-sensitive products, review substitutes or partial recipe adjustments.
Tapioca: fourth week of growth and pressure on Q3
FOB Bangkok is currently around 665 USD/MT. One month ago, the price was approximately 600 USD/MT, which means an increase of about 10% in a month.
The main factor is seasonality. In Thailand and Vietnam, the rainy season is starting, making cassava harvesting more difficult. Supply is also under pressure from weaker volumes in China, where available market information indicates that port stocks fell by 13,000 tonnes.
This affects mainly producers of snacks, tapioca pearls, dairy alternatives, breweries using starch as an adjunct and some frozen bakery producers.
Recommendation
If you have planned consumption for Q3 and Q4, fixing the price today may be 5-8% more favourable than the likely spot price two months from now.
Sugar: lower prices create a window for fixing
ICE white sugar has moved below levels at which some European producers are approaching break-even. The spot price is around 363 EUR/t, while the European break-even level is often cited in the 500-550 EUR/t range. Situations like this are usually temporary. If producers limit production, price pressure may return, especially in Q4.
Rapeseed and sunflower oil: one is falling, the other is rising
Rapeseed oil fell by 3.5%, mainly in response to lower crude oil prices. Sunflower oil, by contrast, moved up by 4.0% as the market reacted to heat in Europe and a weaker dollar. For the fitness segment, producers of protein bars, muesli and food-service operators, the current decline in rapeseed oil is a suitable moment to replenish stocks. For sunflower oil, we recommend monitoring the level around 1,000 EUR/t and considering a lock-in if the market moves closer to an acceptable level.
Soybean meal: an opportunity for feed producers
CBOT soybean meal weakened by 2.0% week on week. For producers of feed mixtures, extrudates and products for farm animals, this is a short-term buying window for contracting Q3 deliveries.
Brent crude: weakness may help transport and vegetable oils
Brent fell by 3.5% WoW and, on 24 June, broke below 75 USD/bbl for the first time since the beginning of the Middle East conflict. Weaker crude oil puts pressure on vegetable oil prices, plastics and transport costs. For Rootie customers, this may mean lower fuel surcharges in transport over the next two to three weeks.
How to buy or check a price through Rootie
If you want to check the current price, send us the commodity, specification and required volume. Within 24 hours, we will return an indicative or binding price depending on availability and the type of raw material.
For selected contracts, we can work with payment terms of up to 60 days and cover receivables through Coface insurance. You focus on production, not cash flow.
Note on prices
Some prices of industrial ingredients, such as starches, maltodextrin, glucose syrup, STPP, salt or caraway, are indicative benchmarks from public sources such as Tridge, SelinaWamucii and S&P Platts. For a binding offer, the specific volume, specification, logistics and availability must be checked.
Price sources: Euronext, CME, ICE Futures, FAO, Tridge, SelinaWamucii, S&P Platts. Issue #11, 29 June 2026.