Reading Time: < 1 minute 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
Feed weekly outlook: Drought, demand deplete southern Alberta stocks
Klassen: Cattle producers facing drought-like conditions
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $262-$265 delivered this past week. Using a 60 per cent grading, the live price would be in the range of $157-$159. If a feedlot booked the bulk of its feed grains earlier in winter, feeding margins are now hovering in positive […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle divorce from futures’ direction
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged. Higher-quality yearlings and calves were steady to $4 higher in Alberta and Saskatchewan; in Manitoba, yearlings traded $2-$4 lower while calves were $3-$5 higher. Domestic cattle markets appeared to divorce from feeder and live cattle futures. June live cattle futures finished the week […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures climb on USDA report
Lean hog futures' gains continue
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures gained on Monday, supported by Friday’s monthly Cattle on Feed report that showed smaller-than-expected placements, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange June live cattle futures settled 0.55 cent higher at 116.275 cents/lb. while the August contract ended 1.1 cents higher at 117.95 cents (all figures US$). “It wasn’t […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Prices taper off ahead of report
Feedlots 'not eating as much grain'
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — While prices for feed wheat and feed barley in Western Canada remain substantially higher than one year ago, the past month has seen slight declines. As of Wednesday, high-delivered bids for feed wheat were at least $7.25 per bushel, more than $1.50 higher than last year according to Prairie Ag Hotwire. However, over […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle markets experience volatility
Beef prices encourage slaughter pace
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to the previous week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$4 on either side of week-ago levels. Prices were quite variable across the Prairies with four main factors influencing buyer sentiment. First, the eastern Prairie regions experienced adverse winter weather. Auction barns in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan had smaller volumes on offer. Buyers shied […] Read more
Klassen: Stronger demand drives feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes 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
Klassen: Feeder market digests USDA acreage report
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged. Lower flesh yearlings appeared to trade $2-$3 higher in certain pockets of Alberta but replacements carrying excessive butter experienced severe discounts of $6 to as much as $10 in some cases. October and December live cattle futures made fresh contract highs, which underpinned […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Prices dropping off over past month
Reading Time: < 1 minute 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
Klassen: Feeder cattle market exhibits defensive tone
Reading Time: 2 minutes March 30 — Compared to the previous week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $3 lower on average. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $245-$249 delivered, down from the average value of $250 seven days earlier. Deteriorating feeding margins set a negative tone for the […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
