Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher and reached a new contract high on Wednesday amid concerns about tightening U.S. supplies, brokers said. Strong recent gains have left the market technically overbought and due for a setback, brokers said. “We’ve had a nice rally here,” said Matt Wiegand, commodity broker […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Supply concerns drive CME live cattle to new contract high
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures turn lower after setting contract highs
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended mostly lower on profit-taking on Tuesday as the market pulled back from contract highs, analysts said. The market consolidated after recent gains, though analysts said cash cattle prices are expected to strengthen this week. Most actively traded December live cattle LCZ2 ended 0.825 cent lower at […] Read more
Beef checkoff refunds rise again
Reading Time: < 1 minute The amount of checkoff money refunded by Alberta Beef Producers jumped again last year but this time, the increase was from payments to cow-calf producers. The organization refunded $3.24 million in 2021, up from $3.04 million the year before, according to the financial statements in ABP’s just-released annual report. Although feedlots account for the vast […] Read more
Klassen: Alberta feedlot backlog limits demand for feeder cattle
Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices traded steady to $2 lower on average while calf markets were down $3 to $5. Feedlots in Alberta and Saskatchewan are backed up with significant numbers of market ready fed cattle which has set a negative tone for replacement cattle. Carcass weights are nearing historical highs. Barley […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures jump to 7-year peak as U.S. herd shrinks
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rallied to a fresh seven-year high on Monday, lifted by expectations for tightening supplies following a monthly U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cattle supply report, traders said. Several actively traded nearby contracts posted life-of-contract highs after the USDA’s cattle-on-feed report, released after the market closed on […] Read more
Calf prices are strong, but the road to recovery will be a long one for many
Demand up, supply down, but many producers still ‘digging their way out of last year’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Strong domestic and international demand coupled with dwindling supply is raising North American calf prices but cashed-strapped farmers are still struggling. At the end of September, calf prices were about $272 per hundredweight, up 21 per cent from a year ago, said Brenna Grant, executive director of Canfax. [RELATED] A NEW DAWN: Cattle producers get […] Read more
Klassen: Uncertain fed cattle market weighs on feeder cattle
U.S. feeder demand seen relatively sluggish
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings (900 lbs. and over) appeared to trade $6-$8 lower on average; yearlings weighing 800-900 lbs. off grass were unchanged. Backgrounded yearlings were also $6-$8 lower. Mid-weight calves were unchanged but calves under 600 lbs. were $3 to as much as $10 lower in some cases. Feedlot operators pulled […] Read more
Follow the money: benchmarking can tell you where to look
National cow-calf cost of production network offers insights on boosting profitability
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The Beef Cattle Research Council wants the third and final year of data collection to fill gaps in a national cow-calf cost of production network. The goal is to allow producers to compare metrics with farms in their region that share the same management practices. “Are you competitive and comparable with others […] Read more
Klassen: Stronger barley prices limit upside for feeder cattle complex
Feedlot operators make barley purchases, price feeder cattle accordingly
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2 higher to as much as $5 lower. A softer tone was noted on yearlings in the eastern Prairie regions. Calf prices were steady to $4 lower on average compared to seven days earlier. Quality yearling packages fresh off grass held value but backgrounded heavier replacements […] Read more
Take the long view by preparing for next year right now
There are several things to be thinking about now, including federal cash that’s up for grabs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Prepare for more dry times, grab hold of federal climate cash and keep watch for meaningful government action on the processing side. Those are three key recommendations from a prominent educator, a producer and a farm leader on positioning the ranch for 2023. Rainfall patterns have been different in the last three to five years […] Read more
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