Reading Time: 4 minutes Beef producers may need to further reduce their herds and seek government aid for a second year in a row if drought conditions persist, says Alberta Beef Producers. The organization is already talking to the province about potential assistance, said vice-chair Jason Hale, a cow-calf producer in the Bassano area. “It’s tough, because we don’t […] Read more
Cattle leaders in talks with province as drought enters second year
But government help may not be enough to stave off major cull this year
Beef sector calls for Health Canada label exception
The Canadian Cattlemen's Association wants ground beef exempted from proposed rules
The cattle sector is less than pleased by a Health Canada proposal that would put a ‘high saturated fat’ label on retail ground beef. The proposal is part of a suite of changes proposed for Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations. As well as adding a front-of-packaging (FOP) label requirement for foods deemed by Health Canada […] Read more
Klassen: Negative feeding margins temper strength in feeder market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings weighing over 800 lbs. traded steady to $2 lower on average. Feeder cattle under 800 lbs. were relatively unchanged. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis at an average price of $288 delivered, down from the range of $288-$290 seven days earlier. Using a 60 […] Read more
Fifth-generation cattle rancher aims to build biggest U.S. beef plant
Chicago | Reuters — A fifth-generation cattle rancher and consultant plans to build the country’s largest beef plant in South Dakota with capacity to slaughter 8,000 head of cattle a day. The US$1.1 billion project could help address the Biden administration’s concerns about rising food prices and a lack of competition in the meat sector, […] Read more
FCC offers boost for sustainable beef
Reading Time: < 1 minute Livestock producers who have loans from Farm Credit Canada can get a rebate of up to $2,000 if they are certified under Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef protocols. The initiative (called the FCC Sustainability Incentive Program) was hailed by roundtable chair Anne Wasko, who said more beef buyers are looking for beef produced under the […] Read more
Weaning calves early isn’t normal but is an option in a time of drought
There's some clear benefits for the herd, but what do you do with the calves?
Reading Time: 3 minutes When feed is tight and times are tough, early calf weaning is an option — albeit an unusual one, says one of the country’s leading cattle experts. “Early weaning is talked about a lot, but not many people do it,” said Dr. John Campbell, a professor of large-animal clinical sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and an […] Read more
Klassen: Steady demand supports feeder cattle prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged. Weakness in deferred live cattle futures and uncertainty in the feed grain market tempered the upside for all weight categories of replacement cattle. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $288-$290 delivered, steady to $2 lower […] Read more
Be strategic when rebuilding your cattle herd following drought
Rebuilding your herd with your own heifers will be the best option for most operations
Reading Time: 4 minutes Producers who were forced to cull their herds during last year’s drought may need years to rebuild their herds back to pre-drought levels. “When the drought hit last summer, one of the questions that came up was what if guys had to cull really hard,” said Brenna Grant, executive director of Canfax. “Every operation has […] Read more
Klassen: Canadian feeder market divorces from feeder cattle futures
Timing of new-crop feed grains leads to shift
Compared to last week western Canadian yearling markets traded $3-$4 on either side of unchanged. The quality was quite variable resulting in the wide price structure; however, decent genetic and lower flesh packages were red hot. Feedlot operators were extremely aggressive on 700- to 800-lb. steers although higher weight categories were also well bid. Auction […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market develops two-tier price structure
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings markets traded $2-$4 higher on average; feeder cattle in the 600- to 800-pound weight category were up $3 to as much as $6 while calves under 600 lbs. traded $4-$8 higher. The Canadian dollar strengthened on Friday but the softer tone from Monday through Thursday contributed to the […] Read more
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