Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $265-$270 delivered this past week, up $3-$5 from seven days earlier. Live prices were quoted at $159-$162 delivered using a 60 per cent grading. If the feedlot operator booked their feed grains earlier in winter, live prices are $2-$3 above breakeven […] Read more

Klassen: Stronger fed cattle prices underpin feeder complex
Limited feed and forage hinder further upside

Canada left with very tight canola, barley stocks
'You can't find canola anywhere in the country'
MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada’s grain stocks report leaves no question that canola stocks have been tight for some time in Canada and will continue to be unless demand is slashed, according to independent trader Jerry Klassen in Winnipeg. “You can’t find canola anywhere in the country and the stocks that are out there, a lot […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Drought, demand deplete southern Alberta stocks
MarketsFarm — Prices for feed grains are continuing to go up — and with depleted stocks and dry conditions forecast for the Prairies, they are likely to rise a bit more. “There’s a shortage of corn. Corn’s at over $400 (per tonne) in southern Alberta. You’ve got barley that’s pushing over $340-$350 and that’s a […] Read more

Klassen: Stronger demand drives feeder market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $3 to as much as $6 higher, but calf prices were relatively unchanged. Major feedlot operators were very aggressive on heavier calves and yearlings weighing 700-850 lbs. Yearlings over 850 lbs. were also well bid but not as strong as their lighter-weight counterparts. Feed barley prices […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Prices dropping off over past month
MarketsFarm — While prices for Canadian feed grains are quite higher than they were a year ago, high-delivered bids for feed grains have seen a slight drop-off over the past month. “Demand has just fallen off a little bit,” Glen Loyns, general manager of JGL Commodities at Moose Jaw, said. “Farmers are either getting down […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Wheat stocks should limit barley’s further upside
MarketsFarm — Feed barley bids in Western Canada remain strong, although ample wheat supplies should limit the upside heading into the new growing season. Feed barley in the Lethbridge region of southern Alberta is currently trading at around $305-$310 per tonne, according to Jim Beusekom of Market Place Commodities. Prices for delivery later in the […] Read more

Klassen: Uncertain feed grain market weighs on feeder cattle
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable. Certain reports had yearling markets trading $3 on either side of unchanged while in southern Alberta, prices were down $2-$4 on average. Calves weighing 600 to 750 lbs. were $4 lower to $4 higher and feeders under 600 lbs. were steady to $3 […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: High barley prices to stay awhile
MarketsFarm — The price of feed barley in Western Canada, along with those of other feed grains such as corn and wheat, has jumped over the past year and shows no signs of a drop-off. Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities in Lethbridge said international demand — especially in China, Japan and India — has grown […] Read more

Klassen: Deferred live cattle futures pull feeder market higher
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $5 lower to $3 higher while calves under 600 lbs. were $2 to as much as $7 higher. Yearlings were somewhat sluggish in the eastern Prairie regions, as feedlot operators in Alberta focused on local cattle. Fleshier backgrounded cattle are coming on the market at this […] Read more

Klassen: Steady demand supports feeder cattle prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were unchanged while calves were steady to $2 higher on average. Auction barns received larger supplies of backgrounded cattle and there was a fair amount of direct trade of yearlings off farm. Larger supplies of heavier-weight feeders appeared to limit the upside but there was no slippage. […] Read more