Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were generally steady with week-ago levels as volumes continue to decline into the summer months. The quality of cattle coming on the market this time of year is quite variable. Background operations are liquidating their final volumes and feeders over 800 lbs. set the market structure. Larger-frame mixed steers averaging […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market well supported
Madisons chain going Certified Humane for beef
Reading Time: 2 minutes A Quebec steakhouse chain aims to carve out a new space in the restaurant market by being Quebec’s first dining chain to source beef from the Certified Humane program. Madisons NY Grill and Bar, a brand of Montreal restaurant and fast-food firm MTY Group, announced Thursday it has signed a deal with Canadian meat supply […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market remains vulnerable
Reading Time: 2 minutes After a firmer tone the last two weeks, feeder cattle values felt sluggish across the Prairies. Western Canadian prices were quoted from unchanged to $5 lower; smaller sales with variable quality saw prices fall as much as $10 below week-ago levels. Feedlot operators were taken aback by the sharp decline in the live cattle futures […] Read more
Proposals for irradiating ground beef back on table
Reading Time: 2 minutes Regulations to allow Canadian beef processors to irradiate fresh and/or frozen raw ground beef for food safety purposes will soon be up for public comment. Health Canada on Monday served notice it will soon propose amendments to its Food and Drug Regulations that would add fresh and frozen ground beef to its list of allowed […] Read more
The business of beef in Canada
There’s no such thing as commodity beef anymore, says Alberta feedlot producer Ryan Kasko. It’s an attitude that is transforming the heart of Canada’s beef country
Reading Time: 13 minutes Canada’s beef industry seems like it’s built on a contradiction. It’s a sector living right on the edge of the future. Every aspect of production is undergoing change. New technology is revolutionizing how herds are raised and managed, and new consumer preferences are raising the bar in their own way too, perhaps faster in beef […] Read more
U.S. watchdog to review cattle pricing, high-speed trading
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — A U.S. watchdog agency will launch a review of cattle pricing, including the impact of high-frequency trading on futures, after ranchers complained about a sharp price drop last year. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted a request from the Senate judiciary committee to study the reasons for the decline, […] Read more
Klassen: Improving margins support feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Average western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $3-$5 above week-ago levels, with top-quality larger groups trading as much as $8-$10 higher. While current pen closeouts remain underwater, the deferred positions are somewhat brighter, which has rejuvenated buying enthusiasm. Most risk management strategies rely on cattle feeders staying in the game all year. There appears to […] Read more
VIDEO: What cattle buyers want
There's more than one way to sell a calf these days
Reading Time: < 1 minute Country Guide reporter Lisa Guenther caught up with Sean McGrath of Round Rock Ranching to find out how he and his family sell their calves. The McGrath family ranch south of Vermilion, Alta, and they’ve sold into a variety of beef programs. In this video interview, McGrath talks about what those buyers are looking for.
U.S. livestock: Cattle limit down after bearish USDA surprise
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle and feeder cattle futures tumbled by their respective daily price limits on Monday, declining two per cent or more in a selloff triggered by bearish U.S. Department of Agriculture data released after Friday’s session. Cattle gapped lower on their price charts at the opening of trading, before locking […] Read more
April U.S. cattle placed in feedlots at three-year high
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– The number of cattle placed into U.S. feedlots in April jumped seven per cent from a year earlier, according to a government report on Friday, far exceeding most analysts’ forecasts. Feedlots were still operating at a loss, analysts said. But lower prices for young calves allowed feedlots to buy more of […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
