(Photo courtesy A&W Canada)

A+W starts move to all-grass-fed, all-Canadian beef

Suppliers lined up to begin transition this spring

Canadian burger chain A+W’s next move to distinguish its menu in a crowded quick-service market will be a connection to the regenerative ag movement, as it sets itself up with an all-Canadian and all-grass-fed beef supply. The Vancouver-based chain, which includes almost 1,000 restaurants across Canada, announced Monday it’s “making a commitment to exclusively source […] Read more


CME April 2020 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures dive, led by energy, equity markets

CME feeder cattle close limit down

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Monday for a third straight session and hit life-of-contract lows following a plunge in crude oil and equity markets amid fears of a global recession, traders said. “When you have the stock market losing five to seven per cent of its value in a day, […] Read more

Three generations of the Stokke family take a break from working cattle for a picture. Randy and Terry are happy to see that the land that has supported their family will continue to do so into the future.

Dealing with a protection order for species at risk

Decades of carefully managing native pastures, documentation and open communication were key to convincing government officials and conservationists that this ranch is supporting wildlife

A landscape like the Palliser Triangle holds its own challenges for raising livestock. These trials are well understood by those who make their living on the arid plains, shaping how they manage the native prairie to sustain their herds and the world around them. But when an emergency protection order (EPO) under the federal Species […] Read more


CME April 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle set contract lows

Fears persist that coronavirus will hurt beef demand

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures sank to contract lows on Friday, extending a decline fueled by fears that the global coronavirus outbreak will slow economic growth and reduce demand for beef. Losses in the market have accelerated as the virus has spread, with the most-active April live cattle futures contract down 17 per […] Read more

New Cattlemen’s Young Leaders

NewsMakers from the March 2020 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Cameron Olson was raised on a small beef cow-calf and finisher operation southeast of Calgary, Alta. 4-H piqued his interest in beef cattle and he participated in clubs in the Calgary region for eight years. Olson earned a bachelor and a graduate degree in animal science from Texas A&M University. His graduate […] Read more


CME April 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle retreat on demand worries

Hogs up on hopes for sales to China

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures slid Thursday as the global spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus raised worries about an economic slowdown that could hurt demand for beef. U.S. beef demand has been strong since last year, helping to push April live cattle futures to a contract high in December. On Friday, though, futures […] Read more

Beef production will likely be slightly below year-ago levels during the latter half of 2020.

Fed cattle market outlook

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

Alberta fed cattle prices reached up to $275 on a dressed basis during the first half of January but have since come under pressure. At the time of writing this article at the end of January, Alberta packers were showing bids in the range of $262 to $265 delivered. April live cattle futures reached contract […] Read more


CME April 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs rise with equities

Livestock futures await export sales data

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures strengthened on Wednesday as gains in financial markets helped fuel a recovery from contract lows reached last week in the live cattle market. Live cattle futures have been looking to equity markets for direction as uncertainty about the impact of the coronavirus epidemic has fueled swings in stock […] Read more

‘Our industry has a clear path to a bright future in the National Beef Strategy.’ – David Haywood-Farmer.

CCA Reports: A roadmap for the beef industry

From the March 2020 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The Canadian Beef Advisors consist of elected leaders and staff representation of the seven national beef organizations responsible for policy, marketing, research and sustainability. They are a diverse group of experienced industry representatives who are responsible for advancing the National Beef Strategy with industry stakeholders, providing recommendations on future direction and reporting results against strategy […] Read more