Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $3-$5 lower while calves and grassers traded within $5 on either side of unchanged. Calves were extremely variable with similar weight cattle sometimes trading $6-$8 apart at the same sale. Supplies of calves coming on the market appear to be lower than last year. This may […] Read more
Klassen: Calves remain firm while yearlings falter
Ontario offers cash for abattoir upgrades
Applications now being accepted through April
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ontario’s 123 provincially-licensed abattoirs can now start applying for a piece of $2 million in federal/provincial funding to step up food safety, biosecurity and animal welfare measures. The Ontario and federal governments on Wednesday announced applications for cost-share funding can be submitted between now and April 30, “as long as funding for the initiative is […] Read more
Klassen: Calf prices divorce from yearling markets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, yearling prices were steady to as much as $4 lower depending on the region in Western Canada. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle at an average price of $252 on a dressed basis, down $6-$8 from last week and down about $20 from the last week of January. Weakness in fed […] Read more
Klassen: Uncertain beef demand weighs on feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian prices for yearling and heavier calves were down $2-$4 on average. The calf market was hard to define; Alberta markets traded $3 lower to $4 higher but notable strength was evident in Saskatchewan and Manitoba where values were steady to $4 higher. Favourable weather contributed to higher auction market […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market remains under pressure
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $3 lower in Alberta while prices eroded by $2-$5 in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Noticeable weakness was evident in yearling prices, while grass cattle experienced limited slippage. Backgrounding operators are starting to liquidate fall-placed calves. Quality was quite variable, with fleshier cattle experiencing sharper […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market lacks buying interest
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$5 lower on average. Values in Alberta were relatively unchanged but markets in the eastern Prairie regions appeared to trade $4 to as much as $6 below week-ago levels. Alberta yearlings were relatively unchanged, but noticeable slippage was noted in the non-major feeding regions. Feedlots […] Read more
Virus concerns add more uncertainty to cattle market
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Cattle futures in Chicago dropped hard over the past few days, as mounting concerns over the new coronavirus in China triggered a broad-based selloff in global equities and commodities. While the virus adds an extra layer of uncertainty to the North American cattle market, expectations for solid beef demand should remain supportive for […] Read more
Namibia looks to import cattle as drought decimates herds
Reading Time: < 1 minute Windhoek | Reuters — Namibian state-owned meat processing and marketing firm Meatco is in talks with neighbour Botswana to import cattle, as severe drought decimates local herds and threatens beef export deals with China and European countries. The southern African desert nation moved closer to famine last month after dam levels fell below 20 per […] Read more
Klassen: Large feedlot inventories lower feeder demand
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged and mid-weight feeders (600-850 lbs.) were steady to $2 lower, but calves under 600 lbs. were unchanged to as much as $10 lower. Prices were quite variable across the Prairies, which made the market hard to define. The market appeared […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market starts 2020 on steady tone
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, short-keep replacement cattle and feeders in the mid-weight categories were steady to $3 lower on average; feeder cattle under 600 lbs. traded $2 lower to as much as $5 higher. Featherlight calves remain strong trading at similar levels to late December. Most auction markets resumed their regular sales schedules last week. […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
