Chicago | Reuters — Affordable feed and record-high spikes in cattle prices in 2014 encouraged U.S. ranchers to increase their herds at a faster pace than previously expected during the past year, analysts said in response to a government yearly cattle report on Friday. Expansion efforts by producers helped turnaround the seven-year decline in the […] Read more
Aggressive herd expansion reverses shrinking U.S. cattle supply
Klassen: Feeder cattle prices feel vulnerable
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were extremely volatile this past week. In eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the weaker Canadian dollar had a noticeable effect on demand, with the market trading steady to slightly higher in certain cases. Alberta values, however, were definitely softer as cattle prices came under pressure causing feeding margins to narrow. Buyers […] Read more
Growing pains — herd rebuild a long-term proposition
Four to Watch: Cattle herd needs a ‘big move’ in heifer retention to fuel expansion
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle herd expansion was one of the biggest ‘will they or won’t they’ stories in 2014 — and that little plot line will continue to play out in 2015. “Right now, we’re still in the consolidation phase,” said Brenna Grant, research manager at Canfax. “Inventories are going to be stable on Jan. 1, 2015, and […] Read more
When cattle (prices) fly
Five to Remember: The year began with producers wondering if ‘fantastic’ prices could last — they did a lot more than that
Reading Time: 2 minutes At the start of the year, the big question in the cattle sector was, ‘Can prices stay this high all year?’ “The market right now is fantastic,” Herb Lock of Farm$ense Marketing said back in February. “Cow-calf producers right now are in their second world, floating around in the sky compared to other years.” Lock […] Read more
Record cattle prices subside across Western Canada
CNS Canada — This year’s bull run for the cattle market in Western Canada appears to have come to an end. While bids across the Prairies are still high, they are a cut below the record highs seen earlier in the fall. “In less than two weeks the futures market for March, on the feeder […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market upward trend stalls
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were unsettled last week, trading $3 higher to $3 lower. However, feedlot operators were eyeing the U.S. market, where softer U.S. fed cattle prices caused feeder cattle prices to drop by $4 to $8. The deteriorating Canadian dollar was mildly supportive, but the uncertainty in the fed cattle set a […] Read more
Cattle prices are strong, but margins remain very tight
Straight from the hip: Reducing feed costs, minimizing shrink, and smart marketing are key ingredients to profitability
Reading Time: 3 minutes There is a lot of frothing at the mouth with cattle prices the way they are. Even the banker’s handshake is warming up with these returns. But a lot of young folks are asking the hard question as they enter into agriculture and farming: Will cows pay? I am a little hard on the bottom […] Read more
Drilling down into the livestock price insurance program
The futures price, basis, and exchange rate are part of the equation, but a producer’s situation is also key
Reading Time: 3 minutes Editor’s note: One of the producer questions for the April 28 edition — on the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program — took some additional investigation by reporter Alexis Kienlen. Vermilion cattle producer Sean McGrath asked, “I understand the risks that WLPIP is covering — futures price, basis, and exchange rate — but what goes into […] Read more
Three questions from Alberta cattle producers: Question #1
What’s the fallout from COOL?
Reading Time: 2 minutes EDITOR’S NOTE: We asked a sampling of producers what was on their mind as they were headed into the growing season, and then reporters Alexis Kienlen and Jennifer Blair went looking for answers. COOLing prices Lethbridge-area stockman Andrew Goodrich asks, “Given the strong cattle prices and ongoing exports to the United States, is country-of-origin labelling […] Read more
Texas economist sees two more years of high cattle prices
Analysis: Beef production seen down six per cent for 2014 and another four per cent for 2015
Reading Time: 3 minutes For beef cattle prices to continue their record run, the 2014 U.S. corn crop will have to produce record yields, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist. That aside, the 2014 beef cattle market outlook is poised for another historic run as lack of supply will continue to fetch strong bids on calves. […] Read more
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