“Almost 20 per cent of the beef we’re consuming in North America is now imported beef,” Perillat said.

Brazil has emerged as a major force in the beef market, rapidly boosting output through better herd efficiency and limited feedlot finishing.

“In just a few short years, Brazilian beef production has skyrocketed … they are becoming more efficient overall,” he said.

Despite tariffs, Perillat said Brazilian beef can still land competitively in the U.S., and shifting Chinese quotas and tariffs may divert even more South American beef towards North America.

At the same time, pest issues and border policy are complicating live cattle flows. The long-running sterile fly program, used since the 1960s to control screwworm, has not fully contained the northward spread. The U.S. and Mexico border remains closed to some live cattle movements due to disease and pest concerns, such as New World screwworm.

New World screwworm has reemerged in Mexico just south of the Texas border. To date, there have yet to be any confirmed cases of New World screwworm in the U.S. since the breakout in Mexico.

The Canadian herd has still struggled to recover from BSE-era losses and recent droughts, Perillat said. But feedlot capacity has expanded.

More than half a million feeder cattle are expected to be imported from the U.S. this year, which Perillat said is a case of “too much money chasing too few cattle in Canada.”

He warned that today’s high prices are being supported by exceptional demand, and history suggests a correction of 25 to 35 per cent from cycle highs is still possible.

Perillat urged producers to use futures, price out insurance and take advantage of other risk management tools to protect against a potential sudden downturn in prices, especially as interest costs and feed prices remain key pressures.

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A University of Guelph-funded global study tracking 61 unfertilized grassland sites across six continents over 15 years found that fertilization increased pasture biomass by an average of 43 per cent.

A three-year forage fertility trial at Elora conducted through the Ontario Forage Network produced similar findings.

The U of G study, part of the university’s Food From Thought program, underscores what many agronomists have long suspected: pasture fertility is one of the most underutilized levers in beef cattle production.

“Improved pasture fertility can absolutely bring improved yield — and improved production, which can absolutely enhance that pasture,” said Colin Elgie, soil fertility specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA), speaking during the Beef is ON fall webinar series.

How pasture fertility differs from row crops

Unlike row crops, pastures draw down soil fertility more slowly. However, several factors still deplete nutrients over time:

• Organic matter breakdown
• Soil pH changes from precipitation and erosion
• Nutrient removal through harvesting, grazing, and manure management

The scale of removal depends on production type. Removing two tons per acre of grass-legume hay strips approximately 80 lbs. of nitrogen (N), 22 lbs. of phosphorus (P), and 90 lbs. of potassium (K) per acre. By contrast, cow-calf stocking at a half pair per acre removes only 5 lbs. N, 3.4 lbs. P, and 0.6 lbs. K per acre.

“We’re actually taking more off the field, but through urine and manure, that nitrogen is returning,” Elgie explained — though he noted that a quarter to half of that nitrogen can be lost through volatilization.

Livestock meat and milk production also removes roughly 10 to 30 per cent of ingested phosphorus and potassium from the field.

Why soil testing is the critical first step

Elgie emphasized that no single fertilizer program fits every pasture — making soil testing essential before any fertility decisions are made.

Proper soil sampling technique matters as much as frequency. Key guidelines include:

• Frequency: Sample every four to five years
• Cores: A minimum of 20 cores per field, taken in a zig-zag pattern
• Depth: Six inches, to capture the nutrient-rich root zone
• Tools: Use stainless steel probes and plastic pails — avoid galvanized metal tools, as zinc can leach into soil and skew nutrient analysis
• Labelling: Clearly and correctly label each sample

“We want that nutrient-rich zone where the majority of the roots are, the majority of the nutrients are, to really get a good analysis of what’s going on,” Elgie said.

Putting soil test data to work

Once producers have soil test results, Elgie recommends using OMAFA’s AgriSuite tools to:

• Input soil test results
• Generate crop-specific nutrient recommendations
• Estimate nutrient removal rates under grazing or haying scenarios

Sampling helps identify deficient and limiting nutrients, monitor fertility shifts over time, guide lime decisions, and prevent both over- and under-fertilization — a critical consideration, since pastures rarely have uniform fertility across a field.

Bottom line for beef cattle producers

Soil fertility management is not a one-time fix. It requires consistent monitoring and a willingness to tailor fertilizer programs to individual pasture conditions. But the return on investment — in the form of higher forage yields, healthier pastures, and stronger farm profitability — makes it one of the most cost-effective management tools available.

“One fertilizer program is not really going to fit every single pasture,” Elgie said.

The post How soil fertility management can boost pasture yield by 43 per cent appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Canadian farmers and ranchers held 11.1 million cattle and calves on Jan. 1, up 2.5 per cent from one year before. Inventories rose across all categories of cattle. Beef heifers for breeding were up 4.8 per cent and beef cows were up 1.9 per cent.

Producers held 3.6 million calves, 4.3 per cent more than a year prior. This was mainly due to a 42.7 per cent increase in international imports of calves between July and December.

In the last six months of the year, slaughter of cattle and calves fell by 6.5 per cent to 1.6 million head, StatCan said. International exports dropped by 8.9 per cent to 361,300 head. Despite decreases, feeder and slaughter cattle prices climbed to record highs over the latter half of 2025 on global demand.

Hog inventories down

Canadian hog farmers reported 13.9 million hogs on farms as of Jan. 1, down 0.8 per cent from one year prior. They reported 1.2 million sows and gilts — up 0.4 per cent. The number of boars was unchanged at 15,300 head.

The pig crop for the second half of 2025 rose by three per cent year-over-year to 15.2 million. StatCan attributed this to an increase in demand from processors and international trade.

International exports of live hogs were up eight per cent year over year at 3.5 million head. Hog slaughter rose by 1.8 per cent to 10.9 million head.

Sheep and lamb inventory up

Canadian sheep and lamb inventories rose by three per cent year over year to 833,000 head.

The sheep breeding herd was up 2.2 per cent as inventories of ewes and replacement lambs both increased. Ram numbers were stable.

Sheep and lamb slaughter fell by 2.9 per cent year over year between July and December. Average producer prices for slaughter lambs fell well below those in the previous six months.

Between July and December, international exports of live sheep and lambs rose by 19.5 per cent to 4,900 head.

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TFS Expanse has been growing Syngenta’s Enogen corn for years and operates four feedlots in Alberta, averaging about 30,000 head of beef cattle a year for custom feeding.

WHY IT MATTERS: Increased corn acreage in southern Alberta aids feed industry and inputs for cattle for ranchers looking closer to home in Canada.

The variety was originally developed for the ethanol industry and contains an alpha amylase enzyme, which enhances the breakdown of starch in the cattle’s rumen, which provides for higher feed efficiency and better nutritional value.

TFS Expanse has been shifting to a wet-corn program for the past year and a half as part of an emerging trend in the region.

“It has great growth potential. If every feedlot did 10,000 tonnes of it, it would make a huge difference in the amount of corn that we have to import from the U.S.,” said David Bekkering, co-owner and farm manager of TFS Expanse/Feedlots.

He said shorter shipping distances have also had environmental benefits.

Alberta silage and grain corn acres have increased to 300,000 from 40,000 since 2014.

Corn yields are also increasing.

While they were averaging 150 bushels per acre 15 years ago, TFS has been seeing average yields of 250 bu. per acre in a very strong year, which dwarfs barley.

The company uses Enogen corn for two-thirds of its wet-corn program, which used more than 17,000 tonnes in 2025.

Bekkering said one acre of corn can feed approximately 2.5 animals.

“They had a pretty good year with barley around here with irrigation, about 100 to 120 bu. on average. Relatively speaking, they’re getting about two to 2.5 tonnes of barley per acre. So we’re basically doubling the number of animals we can feed (on corn) per acre of land use,” he said.

Financial benefits

Cows can also graze the stover after the corn has been harvested. With the crop off in November, that means five months worth of food supply going into March.

“It’s almost like a winter grazing. That reduces our costs greatly on the cow-calf side of things. You are able to feed those cows almost for free on the stover,” said Bekkering.

Steam flake corn is the gold standard for feed digestibility with livestock, which TFS Expanse has reached since the early 2000s, along with a handful of other producers in southern Alberta.

However, Enogen has been closing the gap in the nutritional differences. The wet-corn process saves money overall economically but does require specific storage management practices.

“With steam flake corn, you have to expend a lot of energy. You have to cook it, bake it and roll it. It’s about $10 a tonne,” said Bekkering.

With two turns of cattle going through the company’s feedyards totalling 60,000 head, that’s a lot of cost savings when moving from steam flake to wet corn.

Mitigating trade uncertainties

Feedgrain is protected by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, but there is still plenty of trade uncertainty.

“If all of a sudden China steps in and decides to purchase a lot of soybeans from the U.S., then all of a sudden that might draw more acres into soybeans for next year, which might influence the price of corn because there’s a shortage of corn acres,” he said.

“Because of the uncertainty in trade, it’s probably more of a problem right now than the tariffs themselves.”

The United States exported 651,000 tonnes of corn to Canada in 2022-23, according to the U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council.

Producing feed closer to home has become a greater priority for the industry, considering currency fluctuations, tariff/trade issues with the U.S. and the spectre of potential railway labour disputes.

“We’re hoping to produce more corn locally because we’ve got an abundance of irrigation land here, and corn pay is better than growing a cereal crop on a per acre basis,” said Bekkering.

“Getting better economics by growing corn, we avoid having to buy from the U.S. if needed, which gives us a buffer. We probably will never be able to produce enough corn here to feed everything, but with our combination of western barley and our own local corn, we can go less and less with U.S. corn.”

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Canadian cattle producers had 11.9 million cattle and calves on farms as of July 1, up 0.8 per cent from one year earler.

StatCan attributed the rise to lower slaughter, which fell five per cent year over year to 1.6 million head for January to June.

Producers retained two per cent more beef heifers for breeding, 0.5 per cent more bulls and 0.4 per cent more beef cows.

Dairy heifer inventories also rose by 0.5 per cent and there were 0.4 per cent more dairy cows.

Greater retention of breeding stock and a 1.8 per cent year-over-year increase in births from January to June supported cattle inventories.

Producers held 1.8 per cent fewer steers and 1.5 per cent fewer feeder heifers compared to last July.

International exports of live cattle and calves between January and June decreased by 2.7 per cent to 390,400 head compared to last year.

“Feeder and slaughter cattle prices reached record highs over the first half of 2025, as global demand for beef remained elevated,” StatCan said.

Canadian hog producers reported 13.8 million hogs on farms as of July 1, down 1.3 per cent from a year prior. Total hog slaughter rose 3.3 per cent, year-over-year to 11.0 million head between January and June, supported by strong demand for pork exports.

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In South Dakota, Troy Hadrick kept 16 more heifers on his farm than he did last year to be used for breeding, rather than sending them to be slaughtered for beef.

More than 1,400 miles south in Texas, the biggest cattle-producing state, Fausto Salinas was also preserving heifers to increase his herd.

In major U.S. livestock regions, some ranchers have slowly begun taking the first steps to boost cattle production after the nation’s inventory shrank due to a years-long drought that dried up pasture land used for grazing and hiked feeding costs.

By the beginning of the year, the herd had dwindled to 86.7 million cattle, the smallest number for the time period since 1951, according to U.S. government data.

When grass failed to grow on pasture land that turned from green to brown and as feed grains became too expensive, ranchers began to ship off more cattle to be slaughtered. Some producers searched miles away for hay to nourish their remaining animals.

The drop in supply drove U.S. food companies to increasingly import beef from other countries, including Australia and Brazil.

Record-breaking cattle prices

Though in its early stages, the herd expansion is now a sign of hope for consumers shelling out for expensive steaks and for meatpackers losing money buying high-priced cattle to slaughter.

“Cattle availability should improve in coming years,” Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King said during an earnings call this week.

Farmers’ cautious plans to rebuild mark a turning point after a continuous downsizing of the herd for six years in a row pushed beef prices to record highs in 2025.

Cattle prices reached records too, slashing the profits of processors like Tyson and providing income for farmers who also grow grains and have struggled to turn a profit from selling crops.

Cattle production is the nation’s most important agricultural industry, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which said the sector consistently accounts for the largest share of total cash receipts for farm commodities.

After delays due to persistent dryness, improved rains are motivating the expansion, along with expectations that cattle prices will remain lofty during the long rebuilding process, ranchers said.

In Nebraska, the second biggest cattle-producing state, the portion of the herd in areas suffering from drought dropped to 19 per cent in late July from 79 per cent two years earlier, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Near Cozad, a city of 4,000 people where Uden works with his son-in-law, rains have not quit since starting around Mother’s Day in May, Uden said. Grass conditions look the best since 2011, he added.

The dramatic improvement comes as a record U.S. corn harvest is expected to boost available feed supplies.

“Everything has kind of fallen into place,” said Uden, 64. “The cattle will have plenty to eat this year.”

Ranches in South Texas also benefited from one of the greenest summers in years, a welcome reprieve after the punishing drought turned forage brown and dry and killed some cattle.

“Right now, we’re in the process of rebuilding,” said Salinas, a rancher in Rio Grande City, Texas, who sold cattle during the drought.

Temporarily tighter supplies

When ranchers retain heifers, beef production temporarily slows because the animals are not being sent to be slaughtered; it will also likely push meat prices even higher before they come down, agricultural economists said.

Consumers have shown resilience to the climbing cost of beef, but increased prices will test demand, they said.

It takes about two years before beef output rises after ranchers make initial moves to expand because that is how long it takes to raise full-grown cattle, ranchers said.

U.S. cattle and beef supplies are set to decline even further after President Donald Trump’s administration halted imports of Mexican livestock in July to keep out New World screwworm, a devastating pest.

U.S. beef imports from Brazil, a key supplier of meat used to make hamburgers, are also expected to fall after Trump imposed a 50 per cent trade tariff on Wednesday.

Meatpackers lose big

Beef producers such as Tyson and Cargill have waited years for ranchers to begin rebuilding herds because companies must increasingly compete with one another to buy limited supplies.

Processors were losing about $300 on each head of cattle they slaughtered on Tuesday, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.com.

Farmers have worried a processor may shutter a beef plant due to hefty losses, though Cargill told Reuters it had no plans to do so.

“It’s not overwhelmingly glaring that, ‘Hey we’re starting to rebuild the cow herd,’ but I think there are quite a few signals,” said Jarrod Gillig, senior vice president of Cargill’s North American beef business.

For one, strong prices for heifers at a major video livestock sale in July signaled the animals will be retained on farms, Gillig said.

In rural feedlots, about 4.2 million heifers were being fattened for slaughter as of July 1, down five per cent from 2024, according to USDA data. The decline likely reflects that ranchers are keeping at least a few more heifers on farms to reproduce, analysts said.

Tyson said a 16 per cent drop in beef cow slaughtering from January to June was another early indicator of ranchers retaining heifers on their farms. The meatpacker reported cattle costs climbed by about $560 million (C$770.4 million) in the quarter that ended on June 28, compared to a year earlier.

Herd rebuilding will begin in earnest next year, and the beef business will see benefits in 2028, King said.

Forgoing immediate profits

Ranchers who retain heifers must make a difficult decision to forgo immediate profits from selling cattle for slaughter in a bet that prices will stay high. Many are cautious about passing up the opportunity because they remember when prices tanked following a rapid production increase in 2014.

High interest rates also discourage farmers from expanding operations.

Hadrick, 49, said he would have liked to hold back more than 16 cows at his farm in Faulkton, South Dakota, but he was spooked by a lack of moisture earlier this year. High cattle prices encouraged him to expand a bit now that his son has returned home from college and provides extra help.

“The market’s screaming for more cattle,” Hadrick said. “We’re dipping our toe in.”

— Additional reporting by Heather Schlitz in Rio Grande City, Texas.

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Evan Peterson of JGL Commodities in Moose Jaw attributed the declines to seasonal pressure amidst mid-summer lack of demand.

“Lethbridge is trading for C$295 to C$300 (per tonne),” Peterson said about current feed barley prices.

He added that some feedlots are transitioning away from barley and more towards corn, taking advantage of historically low United States futures prices for the latter.

“Futures started to pull back with the anticipation of a larger U.S. corn crop. So we’ve seen corn traded in southern Alberta for old crop. It also puts pressure on barley prices as well,” Peterson said.

He also mentioned corn prices were trading for C$290 per tonne delivered. Recent rains across the Prairies reduced prices and provided not only much-needed moisture in drier fields but also confidence that farmers can deliver a good crop in the fall.

Right now, buyers are waiting and seeing how the upcoming barley crop will turn out, Peterson said, before determining whether to purchase barley or corn. But demand for feed grain has also slowed down.

“Cattle numbers have diminished across the Prairies and in southern Alberta. The demand for grain in the summer did not seem to be there as it had been in the past,” he said.

Downward pressure on barley and corn prices should continue as growers get closer to harvest.

“(Feed grain prices will) probably be on a slow, downward, sideways trend into new crop to see how things shape out after the combines start rolling,” Peterson said.

Delivered feed barley prices in Saskatchewan ranged from C$5.25 to C$5.51 per bushel on July 9, down 29 cents from a month earlier, Prairie Ag Hotwire reported. Prices in Alberta were from C$5.29 to C$6.64, down 33 cents. Those in Manitoba ranged from C$5.04 to C$5.35 and were steady from one month ago.

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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency released an “owner’s guide” based on early industry consultation, but amendments to the guide are anticipated after they were delayed by the recent federal election.

“We expect that it will happen probably in the first or second quarter of 2026, and after that, there’ll be a one-year soft launch of the enforcement of it,” said Rick Wright, chief executive officer of the Livestock Markets Association of Canada (LMAC).

The journey to implementation has been lengthy but necessary, said Wright, who has served on the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) board of directors for nearly 14 years. The regulations represent what he calls an essential emergency management tool in an era of increased global trade and travel risks.

“With the global trade that we’re doing now and global travel that we have now, the risk of a major disease outbreak is quite a bit higher now than what it was a number of years ago,” Wright said.

“It’s a reality that we need to be prepared because a reactionary response may not get us back into the marketplace fast enough.”

The updated regulations are designed to strengthen preparedness for disease outbreaks by shortening the movement reporting window from 30 days to seven and introducing new requirements for premises identification.

However, Matthew Atkinson, president of Manitoba Beef Producers, says the repeated delays have created uncertainty in the industry.

“The traceability regulations are a really tough one because they have been brought in and kicked down the road so many times that it’s maybe made some folks not as responsive as it could be to the fact that they are coming,” Atkinson said.

The ongoing uncertainty stems from the regulatory process itself, with producers still waiting for final details.

“So until we see Canada Gazette Two, we don’t know for sure what they are,” Atkinson said.

“It’s hard for us to be prepared until we know just what it is.”

The CCIA, which oversees the national livestock tracking system, has already upgraded its digital tools in anticipation of these changes.

“In October of 2024, we were excited to introduce a redesigned Canadian Livestock Tracking System (CLTS) that would make data entry much simpler,” CCIA general manager Ashley Scott said at the livestock association’s annual convention in Brandon earlier this year.

“The new interface is more user friendly with streamlined screens and processes.”

The revamped system now features an enhanced movement record module and a privacy consent option for lost and found livestock.

“We used to have clients reaching out to CCIA seeking owner information for lost and found livestock,” Scott said. “However, due to privacy legislation, CCIA was not able to share a user’s contact information from the database without consent.”

The new consent feature allows users to permit the identification agency to share contact information specifically for livestock recovery purposes.

In December, the CCIA introduced additional system updates, adding optional fields for departure and arrival dates as well as vehicle identification to help users prepare for forthcoming regulatory requirements.

“We’ve introduced two new optional fields, departure date and arrival date,” Scott said.

“This update helps to improve the tracking of animals during transit.”

The redesigned tracking system includes simplified reporting options for auction marts and assembly yards, reflecting the practical demands of their day-to-day operations.

“The CLTS web portal does provide an additional reporting option these users can report a group move in without specifying individual tag numbers,” Scott said.

“This option is designed to reflect the operational reality at these sites where recording individual takes may not always be feasible.”

Once the new regulations are in place, auction marts will be responsible for tagging any untagged animals and documenting any available details about their origin.

The proposed changes also require buyers of approved identifiers, such as ear tags, tail tags and leg bands, to supply the premises identification number of the location where the tags will be used.

Industry representatives emphasize that cattle operations face unique challenges compared to other livestock sectors. The cyclical nature of beef production requires a gradual implementation approach, Atkinson said.

“We’ve really pushed to just recognize we are that very different industry,” he said.

“Our auction marts aren’t even open in the summertime, and we’re a bunch of independent producers, and we start in fall with a big calf run.”

While general cattle producers may not be fully aware of what’s coming, partly due to the extended timeline and multiple delays over the past 15 years, auction markets and assembly yards will play a crucial educational role, Wright said.

“We’re going to be a very important cog in the wheel again, when it comes to the education piece, in educating the producers on what their responsibilities are.”

Anticipated pushback from some producers reminds Wright of the initial resistance when mandatory identification tags were first introduced. He pointed to Australia’s experience as an example of how economic incentives eventually drive adoption.

“When we first started talking about mandatory tags and putting tags in cattle, there was tremendous pushback from the primary producers in Canada, across the board,” Wright said.

“In Australia, animals without lifetime traceability were sold at a considerable discount to those that had lifetime traceability. So, the producers saw an economic advantage.”

The new regulations will position Canada ahead of the United States in livestock traceability, according to Wright, who recently returned from the Livestock Marketing Association convention in the U.S.

“They are way behind us on traceability and the understanding of traceability, the understanding of the need for a better traceability system,” he said.

“We certainly will be positioning ourselves for a better position in the global market by getting this done.”

The timing is particularly relevant given current trade considerations. Having a robust traceability system provides advantages in international markets, especially as Canada looks to diversify its export destinations, Wright said.

“One of the mainstays that we’ve talked about since the Trump administration has come back into play is being less reliant on the U.S. for our export markets, and certainly having a robust traceability system will give us a little bit of a foot up over some of our other competitors when it comes to trading internationally.”

While the government has committed to a one-year soft launch period focusing on education rather than enforcement, the industry had hoped for a longer transition period, Wright added.

The traceability system extends beyond cattle to all livestock species, with pigs already having established programs and goats and sheep beginning to develop their own systems.

This comprehensive approach is particularly important given the potential for cross-species disease transmission such as with foot-and-mouth disease, Wright said.

“It’s not a matter of if it’s going to come to North America. It’s a matter of when it comes and how prepared are we going to be when it gets here.”

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Yet that is the focus of public policy, even as many producers enter another drought year and could be looking at downsizing.

“As a primary producer, I’m not convinced that more cows equals a better outcome for us,” Jeff Yorga told the organization’s annual meeting.

Instead, profitability, younger producers entering the business and keeping grass from being ripped up for grain land are all measures of a successful, healthy industry, he said.

SSGA calls for permanent tax deferral program

Yorga said the SSGA is working to change the policy mindset.

“We grow grass and the cows turn it into protein, and the only way to save the grass in a drought is you have to be able to move the cows,” he said in an interview.

“So when we think about metrics, having policy that is designed to keep the cows around doesn’t keep the grass around.

“What ends up happening is things get exacerbated because the owner wasn’t able to make a clear decision when drought first happened.”

He pointed to Australia, where if it doesn’t rain by a certain date, producers begin to sell off cattle immediately. If and when it rains, they buy back in.

That’s why he introduced a resolution calling for a permanent, 10-year tax deferral program so producers who have to sell because of drought aren’t forced to buy back in at a higher price. Right now, tax deferral areas are announced by the federal government each year. That resolution was passed.

Yorga also said the high prices and strong demand in the industry right now are positive for those who are still in beef production and for those who want to get out.

“I’m not comfortable saying that we need more cows, given the situation that we’re in right now. Bigger picture, I don’t see the herd growing at all this year,” he said.

Detriments of lower cattle numbers

Saskatchewan agriculture minister Daryl Harrison said he had heard Yorga’s message and would consider it.

“I always keep an open mind,” he said.

Saskatchewan Cattle Association chair Chad Ross also addressed the meeting and pointed out the detrimental effects of lower cattle numbers.

SCA collects the provincial and national beef levies, at $2 and $2.50 per head, respectively. Ross said total collections were down about $406,000 last year and are expected to drop another $600,000 this year.

The provincial portion is set to rise 75 cents as of Aug. 1 after extensive debate about raising it to $1.50.

SCA has already cut staff, research spending and third party funding.

“We want to stay positive, but we’ve got work to do to represent our producers. If we’ve got a million less dollars to do the marketing, to do the research, to do the advocacy, it’s tough,” Ross said.

He said producers are doing well and able to pay down debt due to the strong prices, but a 30 per cent decrease in marketings means that $1.50 is probably going to come back into play in future.

The Canadian Cattle Association gets 53 cents out of the $2 provincial levy, and it also had budgetary concerns. Saskatchewan director Lynn Grant told the meeting the organization has begun using a reserve fund it accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic when travel was curtailed.

“In about four years’ time, it’s going to be crunch time,” he said.

Then, CCA will have to cut back activities or seek a revenue increase. He noted that Canadian producers pay less than one-quarter of one percent in checkoff compared to other commodities that pay more.

Grant also suggested that SCA will need the full 75-cent increase to keep operating.

Yorga said associations may have to look at how they are spending the money they have. SSGA is a voluntary membership organization. The provincial checkoff collected by SCA is refundable, but the national portion is not.

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“It seems like we have a couple of buyers who are getting a little more aggressive in buying some feed grains for the summer months,” Leclerc explained. “It seems like you just really need to shop around because there is such differential between so many buyers out there.”

She added that deliveries are still going strong in feedlots, with many farmers in Alberta waiting for more moisture and growth before letting their cattle graze.

“Buyers are a little concerned (about) needing more rain and pastures are varied all over, but not spectacular,” Leclerc said.

Barley and corn are still the two grains of choice at feedlots, she said. How much they will cost will be determined by weather conditions in the coming weeks.

“It depends if we get some of the rains that are anticipated or not. It’s very much going to be a weather market depending how it plays out.”

Delivered feed barley prices in Alberta ranged from C$5.12 to C$6.97 per bushel as of May 28, up seven cents from the month before, Prairie Ag Hotwire reported. In Saskatchewan, the range was C$5.25 to C$5.50/bu., up 20 cents, while in Manitoba, feed barley cost between C$5.19 to C$5.35/bu., up 19 cents.

Delivered feed wheat prices in Alberta were C$7 to C$8.98/bu. for a monthly gain of eight cents. Saskatchewan saw an increase of five cents/bu. with prices ranging from C$7.50 to C$7.95. In Manitoba, the only price reported was C$7.24/bu., up two cents from last month but also up 12 cents from last week.

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