Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s no surprise that drought was the most common theme when the Beef Cattle Research Council put together a list of its Top 10 blogs for 2021. The website of the council was, after all, created to help producers “make informed decisions about their production practices” and so half of the Top 10 articles offered […] Read more
Beef research council aims to inform, and challenge producers
Not surprisingly, drought figured heavily in Beef Cattle Research Council’s top articles of the year
Alberta feeder cattle imports continue to increase
Western Canada plants are currently operating near capacity to satisfy strong consumer demand
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cattle imports have been increasing annually since 2015 when only 32,172 head were imported to Canada and a mere 399 head were received in Alberta, says Jason Wood, provincial livestock market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “Year to date (January to August), total Canadian live cattle imports are 277,290 head, already 1.9 per cent […] Read more
Finding treasure by taking a deep dive into cow-calf production data
Cost of Production Network opens a window on how producers like you spend and make money
Reading Time: 3 minutes An effort to create apples-to-apples benchmarking for cattle producers has released its results from 2020 — and has also issued an appeal for more producers to join the Canadian Cow-Calf Cost of Production Network. “The purpose of the network is to produce benchmarks for different production systems found across Canada,” a newly released Canfax video […] Read more
Cattle producers struggle but beef suppliers are doing just fine
Wholesale beef prices at record levels but those strong prices haven’t made their way to producers
Reading Time: 3 minutes The good news is that beef prices are extremely strong, even in the face of record beef production in North America. “We have record-high wholesale beef prices right now,” CANFAX manager and senior analyst Brian Perillat said at the recent (and virtual) Canadian Beef Industry Conference. Unfortunately, cattle prices are just not responding. “That’s been […] Read more
Klassen: Calf prices ratcheting higher
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$4 on either side of unchanged; mid-weight calves were also unchanged while lighter calves traded steady to as much as $6 higher. Alberta and Saskatchewan have experienced adverse weather over the past couple of weeks; however, feedlots in southern Alberta appeared to be more aggressive for […] Read more
New beef masterplan links environment to improved profitability
New beef strategy says ranchers can boost profits while cutting greenhouse gas emissions
Reading Time: 5 minutes Capturing carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are two key goals in the newly updated national beef strategy. While these goals may seem contentious to some producers, it’s important to show the public that the beef sector is progressive and doing its part when it comes to combatting climate change as well as protecting the […] Read more
Alberta Beef Producers prepares for delegate elections
Reading Time: < 1 minute Nominations are being accepted for Alberta Beef Producers’ 2020 delegate elections. The number of zones has been reduced to five (from nine previously) with seven delegates to be elected in each. Four will serve two-year terms, and three will serve one year so there will be staggered elections in the future. Individuals standing for election […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market experiences fortuitous bounce
Last week, the feeder market started on a very sluggish tone. Buyers were sitting back waiting for the market to establish direction. By Friday, yearling prices were up $2-$4 compared to seven days earlier, while calves were trading $4 to as much as $8 above week-ago levels. Cow-calf producers and backgrounding operators have been holding […] Read more
Klassen: Calf prices divorce from yearling markets
Compared to last week, yearling prices were steady to as much as $4 lower depending on the region in Western Canada. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle at an average price of $252 on a dressed basis, down $6-$8 from last week and down about $20 from the last week of January. Weakness in fed […] Read more
The Big Squeeze: Alberta cattle sector struggling to get ahead
In this tight-margin business, a host of smaller factors pull down profitability
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta’s cattle industry may not be facing another near-fatal blow like BSE, but it’s hemorrhaging all the same. And this time, it’s a death by a thousand cuts, says a new study. Government regulations. Global trade wars. Rising land prices and ever-higher costs. Drought. Feed shortages. Head taxes and exclusion zones. There’s not one single […] Read more
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