FAQs

These numbers refer to the lean-to-fat ratio in pork trimmings.

• 42s are higher-fat trimmings used in products like sausages and ground pork blends.
  
• 72s are mid-lean, ideal for processed meats.
  
• 90s are leaner and often used in low-fat or premium formulations.

Proposition 12 sets specific animal welfare standards for pork sold in California, requiring compliant sow housing practices. This has reduced the availability of eligible pork, altered supply chains, and increased market segmentation – often leading to price premiums for compliant product.

Belly prices – used primarily for bacon – can spike due to tight supplies, low cold storage inventories, or increased retail and foodservice demand. Seasonality plays a key role, with strong summer grilling demand often tightening fresh supply.

Pork prices are highly sensitive to changes in slaughter volumes, seasonal demand (such as grilling season or holidays), and international trade flows. Export demand – particularly from major buyers like Mexico and China – can shift quickly, while disease outbreaks and feed costs also contribute to price fluctuations.

The largest consumers are China, the United States, and the European Union. These regions drive demand for packaging, printing, and tissue products.

Wildfires can significantly disrupt raw material supply by damaging forestlands, reducing harvestable timber, and delaying transport through affected regions.

Prices are influenced by pulpwood availability, transportation and energy costs, labor shortages, and seasonal demand shifts – particularly in packaging, retail, and agriculture.

Expana updates its vanilla price assessments daily and weekly, incorporating fresh market data and commentary to ensure timely, accurate reporting.

Expana provides separate assessments for industrial-grade vanilla (primarily used for extract in large-scale food manufacturing) and gourmet-grade vanilla (used in premium culinary applications).

Vanilla prices are highly sensitive to weather events, political interference, and changes in export regulation – especially in Madagascar. Additionally, the small size of the global market means even slight shifts in supply or demand can lead to significant price swings.

Madagascar accounts for the majority of global vanilla production, often contributing 60–80% of total supply depending on the season. Other key producers include Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and Indonesia.

Yes. The Expana platform includes 20+ black pepper price series, including proprietary Expana Benchmark prices.

• Pepper plants require a large amount of water and as such regular rainfall is essential for good growth and yield. Unfavourable weather conditions, such as drier than average monsoon seasons and drought will therefore have adverse effects on production.
• White pepper commands a price premium over black pepper. This is due to higher processing costs incurred in the production of white pepper from pepper fruit (due to the removal of the flesh before drying).
• In emerging markets such as Asia, with its growing middle-class population, consumption of pepper is on the rise. If this increased demand for pepper is not met with growth in global production, it could put pressure on global pepper supplies and help to keep prices supported.

The largest producers are Vietnam (37% of world output), India (18%), Indonesia (14%) and Brazil (12%). The main exporters are Vietnam (49% of world exports), Indonesia (15%) and Brazil (13%).

To produce black pepper, the unripe (green) fruit of the pepper plant is first cooked in hot water and then dried either naturally in the sun or artificially. During drying, the skin and flesh of the fruit become black and wrinkled and are known as black peppercorns. Black peppercorns can be traded whole or cracked, or they can be ground into a fine powder. Once ground, peppercorns can lose their flavour quickly unless stored properly and thus are usually ground just prior to use.

Expana focuses on California-origin almonds, with pricing available for both US domestic and landed-in-Europe benchmarks. Our analysis also references Spain and Australia as relevant secondary origins.

We provide weekly almond reports with pricing and market commentary, as well as regular analytical content that covers harvest updates, demand shifts, and comparative outlooks across origins.

Yes. Our almond forecasts combine macro trends, weather impacts, technical indicators, and historical analysis to help you plan sourcing and hedge risk more effectively.

Our platform helps you build COGS models for almond-forward products like roasted snacks, trail mixes, nut butters, chocolates, and bakery items, supporting margin tracking and product pricing strategies.

We cover a range of almond grades including Nonpareil Extra and Supreme kernels, Carmel Supreme, California SSR, standard 5%, and Nonpareil inshell. Pricing reflects US origin and use case across different markets.

California is the dominant origin, producing around 75–80% of global supply. Australia and Spain follow. Key demand hubs include India (mainly inshell), Europe (ingredient-grade), the Middle East, and East Asia.

Supply is the primary driver, due to the slow and costly process of scaling tree nut production. Weather plays a critical role, particularly during bloom and harvest. Demand trends, shipping disruptions, and quality variations also affect pricing.

Expana’s almond benchmarks are updated weekly, with select series available on a daily basis. We provide consistent pricing on both shelled and inshell US-origin almonds, with some landed-in-Europe benchmarks included.

Mango pricing is published monthly as part of our IQF Fruit & Berry Market Report, with commentary covering key production and trade developments.