Cattle feeders are seeing better prices but are still being hit hard by higher costs, says a provincial livestock market analyst.
Fed cattle prices were up 6.4 per cent on the year and 12 per cent above the five-year-average as of mid-June, said Ann Boyda, but feeders south of the border are seeing even better prices.
“The Alberta fed steer price remains lower than Nebraska price with a spread that is significantly higher than the five-year average price spread,” she said. “Strong demand from packers in the U.S. for a limited supply of cattle supported the stronger U.S. prices.”
Read Also
From winter soil to bountiful crops: Alberta’s ultra-early seeding experiment
Southern Alberta farmers are putting research into practice, pushing ahead traditional seeding times by months for spring wheat and durum.
The American cattle sector is in the contraction portion of the cycle and that means a smaller calf crop and a stronger price outlook, she said.
