
Beef cattle

Market Intelligence Update from Canada Beef: U.S. imports of Canadian beef rise
The U.S. beef market has been taut, welcoming sales of Canadian beef in September 2022. U.S. imports of Canadian beef in September 2022 were up 4.3 per cent from September 2021 and up 17 per cent from the five-year average for September. September imports were the largest monthly volumes since October 2021. Import values in […] Read more
Executive director of beef conference steps down, a cattleman passes
NewsMakers from the December 2022 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Allana Minchau is stepping away as executive director of the Canadian Beef Industry Conference to focus full-time on ranching and raising her family in the Lethbridge area. Minchau has served as the conference’s executive director since 2017. She has helped shape the CBIC into a premiere national ag conference. Her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease on seasonal retail softness
February hogs lower despite export optimism
Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange dipped on Wednesday, as easing post-holiday retail demand, combined with strong cash cattle prices, eats into processor profitability. “This week specifically is when we transition to buying for a lower-demand period, post-holidays,” said Rich Nelson, chief strategist at Allendale Inc. “Packer margins are […] Read more

Direct marketing in the COVID age
Two Alberta businesswomen talk shop about how the pandemic has shaped the direct marketing landscape for beef producers
It is a changed world. The time spent in pandemic lockdowns has completely altered consumer behaviour. Perhaps it has sped up trends that were already in place, such as concerns about how food was grown or raised, convenience and ease of online purchasing. According to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review on Marketing […] Read more

Market Intelligence Update from Canada Beef: Demand for Canadian beef in Korea may rise further
Canadian beef imports to South Korea are up substantially from last year, and the possibility of temporary tariff cuts and a drop in U.S. beef imports may create even more demand for Canadian beef. Korea’s total beef imports in September 2022 were 48,727 tonnes, up 12.7 per cent year-over-year but down 30.4 per cent from […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder cattle market experiences diverse price behaviour
Manitoba calves hold a premium over Sask., Alta.
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded steady to $2 higher while calf prices were unchanged to $4 lower. Yearling supplies are limited and there appeared to be a surge of buying interest for 850-lb. thin-fleshed replacements. Alberta fed cattle basis levels for the second quarter of 2023 have above average and the […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle fall on wholesale beef weakness
Feeder cattle, February hogs also lower
Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange slid on Tuesday, pressured by falling wholesale beef prices. “We had a really disappointing box beef value fall off to start the week yesterday, and a little follow through today,” said Matthew Wiegand, risk management consultant at FuturesOne. Most retailers have completed purchases […] Read more

Fed cattle market struggles, feeder exports seen slower
The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the December 2022 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Fed cattle The local fed market continues to struggle. The wide basis has started to encourage additional U.S. buyer interest, but large carcass weights and longer lift times are making it difficult to stay current. Steer carcass weights are at near-record levels, at 972 lbs. in mid-November, which compares to 946 lbs. last year. The […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle firm as corn inputs slide
Live cattle climb higher in deferred months; February hogs also up
Chicago | Reuters — Feeder cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange firmed for the fifth consecutive session, as corn, a significant input for producers, continues to fall, traders said. “The feeders have sort of been hobbled for a long time because of the elevated feed price,” said Dennis Smith, livestock analyst and broker at […] Read more

Getting livestock research into practice
With the decline in government extension, other organizations have shifted gears to try to cover some of that ground
The large gaps left when governments stopped providing a full range of on-the-ground advisory services to farmers are slowly getting filled with useful and accessible resources, according to industry experts. “In the 1990s in Ontario, the Ministry of Agriculture cut those services and it meant different sectors reacted differently with no defined process,” says Mike […] Read more