Unpacking the global poultry price flip: Why are chicken legs now pricier than breast meat?
Release Date: 03/24/2026
El Nino and agriculture: How are Asian rice markets navigating the weather risks?
Commodities Focus
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast high chances of El Nino developing in 2026, potentially disrupting weather patterns worldwide. Renewed weather volatility driven by a strong El Nino is spotlighting supply security, price trends, and export flows across Asian rice markets. As demand for rice stays resilient, market participants are closely monitoring the risks from erratic monsoons, reduced water availability, and rising input costs in major producing countries. In the inaugural episode of a four-part podcast series on El Nino and its impact on key agricultural...
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Asian LNG under pressure: what comes next for prices amid the Middle East conflict?
Commodities Focus
Asian LNG markets are facing renewed pressure as the US–Iran conflict raises concerns over supply security and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. With the initial price shock now absorbed, the focus is shifting to the next phase of the crisis: how the supply-demand balance is evolving and which market signals will drive price direction. Join Jaime Wong, commodity associate, APAC LNG pricing, Cindy Yeo, price reporter, Suyash Pande, senior price reporter, and James Taverner, executive director, global gas and LNG research, as they examine the market’s initial response, the outlook for...
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From Hormuz to Gulf ports: tracing a logistics shock through the poultry trade
Commodities Focus
The Middle East imports the majority of the chicken it consumes, with Brazil the dominant origin and most cargo routed through the Strait of Hormuz to Gulf ports. When that route was effectively disrupted in early March 2026, the Platts CIF Middle East chicken breast assessment moved from $2,320 a tonne in early February to a peak of $3,150 by mid-April — a 36% increase over eight weeks, driven by freight and routing costs rather than any change in supply or demand. This episode traces how that shock travelled through the container freight market, through the poultry benchmark itself, and...
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India’s carbon market: from design to implementation
Commodities Focus
India’s emerging compliance carbon market under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) is moving into its early implementation phase, with an intensity-based design that sets operational-level obligations for emission-intensive sectors. The scheme is expected to influence industrial planning, capital allocation, and trade competitiveness. The stakeholders need clarity on how the market will work in practice, what signals it will send on carbon pricing, and how credible emissions accounting will support trust and investment. Vipul Garg, Platts senior price reporter, environmental markets at...
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India’s corporate renewable sourcing: Are IRECs losing ground to VPPAs amid growing demand?
Commodities Focus
India's corporate renewable energy market is entering a new phase. While International Renewable Energy Certificates still lead the way for buyers seeking flexibility, simplicity, and cost-effective compliance, larger corporates are increasingly exploring Virtual Power Purchase Agreements, financial contracts that allow procurement of renewable energy attributes without taking physical delivery of the power. In a structurally oversupplied Indian I-REC market, rising issuance, cyclical demand, and price sensitivity continue to shape procurement strategies. Vipul Garg, Platts senior price...
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India’s renewable hydrogen projects face cost, delay risks from global conflicts
Commodities Focus
India has established a strong foothold in the emerging clean fuels industry, leveraging its low-cost renewable energy resources to position itself as a competitively priced producer of renewable hydrogen and ammonia for both domestic industrial use and large-scale exports to buyers seeking to secure future supplies of low-carbon fuels. However, recent geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, have disrupted supply chains and pushed up costs, posing risks to project timelines and cost estimates. Despite these near-term challenges, India’s long-term outlook remains robust,...
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Global wheat markets on edge as war, weather, and fertilizer shocks drive new rally
Commodities Focus
Global wheat prices have been rising since the Middle East war began in late February. Geopolitical tensions, higher fertilizer costs, and mounting weather risks in North America, and a potential El Niño in Australia are all in focus. At the same time, Black Sea new-crop wheat is competing with Australian origin in Asia, while strong crop prospects in the Middle East and North Africa are reshaping expectations for trade flows and demand. Join Maham Quadri, associate price reporter, North America, Vivien Tang, senior price reporter covering APAC, and Vivian Iroanya, senior price reporter for...
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Copper markets react to high sulfuric acid prices, Middle East conflict
Commodities Focus
Copper TC/RCs have plunged 89% since January, hitting record lows as concentrate supply tightens and demand stays firm. At the same time, the Middle East war has driven sulfuric acid prices – an important by-product for copper production - up 156% since mid-March, supporting copper smelters to maintain production, and exposing copper’s growing vulnerability to geopolitical shocks. Join Ruilin Wang, associate director of nonferrous market, Yuya Pan, senior principal analyst of sulphur & phosphate raw materials at S&P Global CERA, Lu Han, senior editor of nonferrous, and Mok...
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Mounting risks for global beef prices: what’s driving market uncertainty?
Commodities Focus
Global beef prices are rising, with multiple record highs recorded for beef from Australia and Brazil, as well as in the US lean trimmings import market during the first quarter. Although strong US demand has supported the market, the global beef industry is facing challenges related to quotas and geopolitical risks. In this podcast, we will shed light on the increasing risks affecting the beef trade. Join S&P Global Energy’s Edward Low and Chow Yuh Nien, price reporters for agriculture and food pricing, along with Jack Mullumby, senior principal analyst for APAC proteins, as they...
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India's solar market faces export hurdles, pivots to domestic power
Commodities Focus
The Indian solar market has grown considerably over the past decade as the country continues to invest in its module and cell manufacturing capacities. However, the recent imposition of additional duties by the country’s largest export market – the US – has restricted India’s export opportunities. In response, the Indian solar industry is increasingly redirecting their efforts towards the domestic market, while simultaneously exploring new international prospects. Join Lena Dias Martins, associate price reporter at S&P Global Energy, price reporter Srija Basu Roy, associate...
info_outlineFor the first time since Platts began tracking these markets, frozen boneless chicken legs shipped to North Asia are priced higher than skinless boneless breast meat destined for the Middle East. This shift highlights changing demand and supply dynamics in the global poultry market. The podcast explores the impact of bird flu, supply chain disruptions, and how producers like Brazil are adapting to consumer preferences.
Join S&P Global Energy’s Graham Style, price reporter for agriculture and food (EMEA), Rubashiny Veeramohan, associate price reporter for agriculture and food (APAC), and Jessie Khor, principal analyst for Proteins, as they discuss how global events and shifting demand are reshaping the poultry landscape.