Reading Time: < 1 minute A new report presents the multi-year business performance of cow-calf producers who participated in the AgriProfit$ Business Analysis Program. Ian Ryan, senior livestock economist with the Alberta government, says this report has a multi-year summary of the economic, productive and financial performance of Alberta cow-calf producers. Participants received a customized business analysis of their operations […] Read more
Benchmarking cow-calf producers
Bleak 2024 for Canadian beef sector, says U.S. report
Only two things will save national cow herd, said analyst: feed and moisture
Reading Time: 3 minutes The United States Department of Agriculture has dropped a report painting a grim picture of the Canadian beef industry in 2024. And according to an Alberta market analyst, most of its forecasts check out. The Canada: Livestock and Products Annual report predicts an ongoing contraction of the Canadian cow herd driven by a dwindling heifer […] Read more
‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ as cattle backlog numbers fall
The number of market-ready cattle remains high, but packers have made good progress since spring
Reading Time: 4 minutes In spite of producers’ fears in the spring, things seemed to have settled out a little bit in the cattle market. The shutdown of Cargill in High River and the slowdown of JBS in Brooks left a backlog of cattle that many worried would pummel calf prices this fall. “Our processing was limited in the […] Read more
A year with more ups than downs, say these cattle producers
It wasn’t without its challenges, but 2019 worked out better than many had feared
Reading Time: 5 minutes This past year may have been a better year for Alberta’s cattle producers than 2018 was, but you’d be hard pressed to find many who would call it good. Between uncertain feed supplies, whiplash-inducing weather conditions, and variable cattle markets, producers across the province had to dig into their reserves, find a degree of patience, […] Read more
Comment: A world without Canadian beef would not be good for the planet
The ‘beef is bad’ narrative ignores environmental gains by the sector and its critical role in preserving grasslands
Reading Time: 3 minutes In a world that is quick to malign businesses impacting climate change, the beef industry has been tagged as a major contributor. The notion that ‘beef is bad’ has infiltrated popular opinions of the commodity, making it difficult for alternate perspectives to break through the fog of negative rhetoric. So here I clearly state: Beef […] Read more
With feed expensive and supplies tight, more cows are ‘heading to town
Your culling criteria will depend on your operation — and your cows
Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta cattle producers may need to make some tough choices when it comes to culling this fall and winter. “There are a number of reasons for culling, and they all relate to profitability,” said provincial business management specialist Ted Nibourg. “If the herd isn’t profitable, if the cows aren’t making you money, it might be […] Read more
Stability of Steady Eddie cattle market is the envy of other sectors
Calf prices a bit higher, exports edging up, and despite a smaller herd, processing is doing well
Reading Time: 3 minutes There have been a few small hiccups but unlike much of the ag sector, the cattle market has been blissfully uneventful in recent months. “Calf prices are generally higher than a year ago. We’re seeing our calf and feeder prices 15 to 20 cents higher than a year ago, which is pretty positive,” said Brian […] Read more
Canada’s cattle herd has stubbornly refused to grow
High prices made expansion expensive and falling prices have folks nervous — but young producers like Clay and Jesse Williams see only opportunity
Reading Time: 5 minutes Canada’s cattle herd has been poised for expansion for the last two years, but declining cattle prices have put those expansion plans on hold. “The July 1 inventory showed that we were completely steady with beef cow numbers,” said Brenna Grant, manager of Canfax Research Services. “We did have an increase in beef heifers for […] Read more
Study finds Canadian beef’s GHG footprint shrunk over 30 years
Efficiencies in cattle production and feeding have allowed Canada’s beef industry to produce the same weight in beef as 30 years ago with smaller breeding herds, less land — and smaller greenhouse gas (GHG) output, a new study finds. The study, led by research scientist Tim McAllister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, with […] Read more
Building the herd: The downside of strong cattle prices
Cattle prices are expected to remain strong into 2016, but what does that mean for replacement cattle next year?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Next year could see continued strong or even stronger cattle prices — and that’s a double-edged sword for producers who’ve reduced their herds this year and plan to buy replacements in 2016. Producers in prescribed drought regions who have reduced their breeding stock by at least 15 per cent can tap into the Federal Livestock […] Read more
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