For the week ending May 31, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to as much as $10 lower on average. Dryer grass conditions in certain regions of Manitoba and central and northern Saskatchewan may have contributed to the softer tone at certain locations. Many feedlot operators continue to sit on their hands for the […] Read more
Klassen: Feeding margin uncertainty weighs on feeder cattle market
Klassen: Feeder cattle market ratchets higher on stronger fed market
For the week ending June 8, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3 to $6 above week-ago levels. In certain locations, quality packages of 600 pound plus steers were $8 to $10 higher compared to seven days earlier. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis at $440/cwt, up $2/cwt from the previous […] Read more
Lamb and sheep market remains resilient
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta sheep producers can expect to see continued market strength, according to one official in a recent provincial publication. “The long-term outlook for global sheep meat consumption is strong, due to economic development, growing populations and household income growth,” stated Ann Boyda, provincial livestock market analyst with the Alberta government. “As always, there are several […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market remains firm on fed cattle strength
Alberta's disastrous wildfires may disrupt calf marketings
Compared to last week, western Canadian prices for yearlings over 800 lbs. were quoted steady to $4 higher; feeders between 600-800 lbs. were relatively unchanged while calves under 600 lbs. were $5-$10 higher. The market for calves under 600 lbs. was hard to define due to limited volumes. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on […] Read more
Few winners despite big jump in cattle prices
While prices are the highest in eight years, it’s a different story when it comes to margins
Reading Time: 3 minutes Cattle prices are the highest in years, with record production despite a contracting national herd. These should be signs of health in Canada’s beef sector, but instead there’s pain throughout the value chain, says an industry expert. “The number of winners in an inflationary price environment are actually few and far between because all of […] Read more
Mintec acquires Agribriefing to expand agrifood data offering
Paris | Reuters — British market intelligence firm Mintec announced on Tuesday the acquisition of Agribriefing in a deal it said would create a leading global provider of data on agricultural and food markets. Financial details were not disclosed. Agribriefing’s businesses include protein price-reporting agency Urner Barry and crop consultancy Strategie Grains, the latter acquired […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market experiences weather volatility
Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices traded $3 to $4 on either side of side of unchanged while calves traded $5 lower to as much as $6 higher. The calf market tends to experience a seasonal bounce every November. In certain cases, buyers appeared to step forward more aggressively last week in anticipation […] Read more
Klassen: Alberta feedlot backlog limits demand for feeder cattle
Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices traded steady to $2 lower on average while calf markets were down $3 to $5. Feedlots in Alberta and Saskatchewan are backed up with significant numbers of market ready fed cattle which has set a negative tone for replacement cattle. Carcass weights are nearing historical highs. Barley […] Read more
Calf prices are strong, but the road to recovery will be a long one for many
Demand up, supply down, but many producers still ‘digging their way out of last year’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Strong domestic and international demand coupled with dwindling supply is raising North American calf prices but cashed-strapped farmers are still struggling. At the end of September, calf prices were about $272 per hundredweight, up 21 per cent from a year ago, said Brenna Grant, executive director of Canfax. [RELATED] A NEW DAWN: Cattle producers get […] Read more
Pork industry sees uptick despite skyrocketing input costs
While returns have improved, the sector has lost about 40 per cent of its farms in the last decade
Reading Time: 4 minutes Hog farming has been a tough slog for years, but matters have improved slightly since the beginning of the pandemic, says the executive director of Alberta Pork. Unfortunately, soaring input costs are running in parallel with higher hog prices, and the industry remains in decline, said Darcy Fitzgerald. There are now an estimated 300 commercial […] Read more
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