Reading Time: 2 minutes A boulder falling off a mountain accelerates and gains momentum as it nears the ground. Until we see another force come into play, there’s no signal the lows are near in the feeder complex. Once again, the western Canadian feeder cattle traded $8 to $10 below week-ago levels, with sharper declines noted on unweaned calves. […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market aggressively searches for demand
Saskatchewan to thin out wolf pack along treeline
Reading Time: 2 minutes Aiming to prevent “wolf-livestock conflicts” in the region, Saskatchewan’s environment department will again offer a wolf hunting season along the provincial forest fringe starting Saturday. The wolf hunt, running from Oct. 15, 2016 through to March 31, 2017, is to be allowed in wildlife management zones 43 (Melfort, Tisdale), 47 (North Battleford, Turtleford), 48 (Preeceville, […] Read more
Premium Brands buys Toronto burger processor
Reading Time: 2 minutes Toronto custom burger maker Belmont Meats has become the latest subsidiary of Vancouver food processing firm Premium Brands. Premium Brands, which owns assorted processing and distribution businesses across Western Canada, Ontario and the U.S., on Thursday announced it has paid $50 million – $49.2 million in cash and $800,000 in Premium common shares — for […] Read more
CME mulls cash settlement for volatile cattle market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– CME Group is considering switching to a cash settlement process for its live cattle futures, a managing director said Thursday, as traders continued to complain about extreme volatility. Dave Lehman, managing director of commodity research and product development, said discussions about the new settlement procedure were part of an all-encompassing review […] Read more
Klassen: Patient buyers await lower feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Patience is a virtue, the old saying goes. Unlike the past few years, feedlot operators have been rewarded for waiting and there is no clear signal the market has any incentive to deviate from the current direction. Western Canadian feeder markets were trading $5-$8 below week-ago levels as larger numbers come onstream in all weight […] Read more
Mexico reopens to all Canadian beef
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beef and beef products from Canadian cattle of all ages may again be shipped to Mexico under newly expanded access announced Friday. The announcement from Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, on his first official visit to Mexico, follows up on a joint statement in June that Mexico was in the “final stages of due diligence” to reopen […] Read more
Klassen: Prolonged negative margins weigh on feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices traded $5-$10 lower last week, with certain auction barns experiencing a week-over-week decline of $15. After 15 months of devastating margins, feedlots have thrown in the towel. If one of the largest, most sophisticated and efficient feedlots shuts the doors, the smaller players are wondering what they’re doing in this […] Read more
USDA requires meat packers to report online cattle auction deals
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday it will require meat packers to report cattle purchases they make through online auctions to the agency starting next week, a move that stoked traders’ hopes for more transparent markets. USDA will begin including transactions from auctions on the Fed Cattle Exchange in pricing […] Read more
Sobeys locks in Atlantic Beef for P.E.I. stores
Reading Time: 3 minutes Prince Edward Island’s long-beleaguered packing plant, Atlantic Beef Products, has now ramped up its slaughter and processing capacity to meet a new commitment from grocery chain Sobeys. The Nova Scotia-based grocery chain on Tuesday announced ABP’s Island View Farms is now the “primary” brand for beef sold at the five Sobeys, five Co-op and three […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market experiences mixed tone
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets experienced a diverse tone across the Prairies, with notable buying interest surfacing on yearlings. Compared to seven days earlier, prices for yearlings in southern Alberta were $5-$7 higher on average, as feedlots focused on purchasing local cattle. In southern Alberta, larger-frame lower-flesh black steers weighing 900 lbs. were quoted at […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
