Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures jumped on Thursday, buoyed by rising cash cattle prices and a government inventory report confirming that the total number of U.S. cattle fell to a 73-year low. CME April live cattle futures LCJ24 settled up 2.475 cents at 183.175 cents per pound, nearing Monday’s 2-1/2-month high of […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle soar as cash markets firm
Updating cow-calf management benchmarks
Survey closes March 31
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) is asking cow-calf producers to share insight into their on-farm management practices and production methods. The 2023 Canadian Cow-Calf Survey is an online questionnaire that will collect data to help understand trends in production practices and efficiencies over time. Producers’ identities and information will remain anonymous and be held […] Read more
Sustainable beef program brings framework up to date
Includes focus on transparency, clarity and consistency
Reading Time: 2 minutes A leading industry-run sustainable beef program is touting a new and improved update of its guiding framework. The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has released a “fulsome” rethink of the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework (CSBF) prioritizing transparency, clarity and consistency. It comes on the heels of the the framework’s first scheduled five-year review in […] Read more
Cattle sector awaits details on methane plan
Early thinking is that federal incentives to help producers reduce cattle emissions could fit with industry targets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s draft policy that would provide financial incentives to livestock producers to reduce methane from cattle aligns with the beef sector’s target to see those emissions reduced by one-third by 2030. The beef industry will have to see how well federal government proposals merge with its own efforts, which have already resulted in Canadian […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market holds value despite negative margins
U.S. demand limited with colder temperatures in Midwest
Calf markets appeared to trade $2 to $3 above week-ago levels on average. Feedlot margins on current pen close-outs are negative $300 to $350 per head but replacement markets haven’t missed a beat. Finishing feedlots were once again bidding aggressively on backgrounded cattle with fleshier types experiencing limited slippage. Larger pen sized groups were on the higher end of the priced spectrum with buyers avoiding smaller packages.
Klassen: Yearling return to the lineup on strong demand
Frigid temperatures result in limited volumes
The market hasn’t missed a beat and started the year where it left in December. The only difference is there are larger supplies of yearlings coming on stream. The benchmark levels had backgrounded steers averaging 1,000 pounds trading from $280-$285/cwt with top bids rounding at $290/cwt. Steers averaging 850-pounds were averaging $300/cwt with top-notch larger groups peaking at $305.
Beef research centre wins ag tech award
Alberta’s Livestock Gentec was formed in 2010 to use genomics to help producers improve profitability and sustainability
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – An applied research centre using genomics to help beef producers sharpen their competitive edge has been honoured with a Best in Agriculture Sector Award at the ASTech Awards, which are given for technology and science innovation in Alberta. “We’re very proud that our team received that award,” said John Basarab, head of […] Read more
Klassen: Cattle producers anxious about 2024
No sales the first week of 2024 as markets assess inventory, plan strategy
The holiday break for the cattle market is analogous to an the intermission between periods of hockey game. Feedlot operators assess inventory and to focus on the market structure. They’re planning their purchase strategy for the next couple months.
Feed Grain weekly outlook: Corn, barley on level ground
High Canadian dollar behind lower corn trading
Prices for Canadian feed barley and United States corn imports reached parity as the feed grain market took a breather between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
What to consider when valuing a crop for livestock feed
Reading Time: < 1 minute Many beef producers are looking for alternative feed sources to get their cattle through the winter. Some hope to work with neighbouring farmers to obtain that feed. The question is how to value it in a way that provides value to both the farmer and the cattle producer. Buyers and sellers need to consider accessibility, […] Read more
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