Produce market benchmarks

These are benchmark reference prices — the going rate for a commodity on a recognised exchange or auction. They are a guide to the market, not a quote for your specific shipment. Always confirm a real price with your supplier before you contract.

Futures settlement

The official end-of-day price for a standard contract on a commodity exchange (for example ICE coffee). It is what one standardised lot would settle at that day; the unit (e.g. US cents per pound) tells you how it is measured.

Price index

A single number that tracks how a basket of products has moved relative to a starting point (for example the GDT dairy index). It shows direction and momentum, not a per-kilo price.

Auction average

The average price paid across a public auction (for example the Mombasa tea auction). It reflects what buyers actually paid that session for the grades on offer.

Reference price

A monthly benchmark price published by an institution (for example the World Bank Pink Sheet). It is a widely-cited average for the commodity over the period, useful for trend-watching.

Change & “as of”

How the latest figure compares with the one before it, shown as a percentage. A green ▲ means it rose, an orange ▼ means it fell. “As of” is the date the figure refers to — benchmarks update daily, weekly or monthly depending on the source.

Unit / lot

The way the price is measured: per kilogram, per metric ton, per pound, or as index points. Two instruments in the same family can use different units, so compare like with like.