The announcement on May 4 that China will start accepting U.S. beef on or before July 16 had U.S. industry leaders applauding the Trump administration and excited about supplying this giant market. Their enthusiasm was understandable — U.S. beef has been shut out of China since late 2003, when the U.S. reported its first BSE […] Read more
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay
When markets behave unexpectedly, it’s valuable to look back and see what the key drivers were to create such conditions. That’s just as true for cattle and beef markets as it is for financial markets. In the case of the first two in the U.S, aggressive feedlot marketings and better than expected beef demand at […] Read more
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay: From the April 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Entering the beef processing business is full of risk. Just ask those who have tried and failed over the past 25 years. So it’s worth saluting the owners of two new beef processing companies that have started operations at almost opposite ends of North America. I’m referring to Harmony Beef, which began operations February 27 […] Read more
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay: From the March 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
President Trump quickly shattered any final hopes U.S. cattle producers had that he would relent on his pledges to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership or leave NAFTA alone. Now they and other ag groups will have to persuade the administration to open up export markets in other ways as quickly as possible. Many […] Read more
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay: from the February 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Ask any winemaker how he or she produces a great drinking experience and all reply “It starts in the vineyard.” The same is true of the beef industry. A great beef eating experience starts on the ranch or farm. And just like constantly improving the quality of the grape, it should include upgrading the genetic […] Read more
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay: from the January 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Another year has begun and expectations on both sides of the border are for a decent year. Cow-calf producers hope for a mild winter but enough snow to produce a lot of green grass this spring and a good calving season. Cattle feeders hope to see more feeder cattle and a more stable live cattle […] Read more
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay, from the December 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
The integration of North America’s cattle/beef sector is one of the outstanding success stories of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which took effect at the start of 1994. The sectors in all three countries have thrived under NAFTA, with all classes of cattle entering the U.S. and beef flowing in all directions. Trade […] Read more
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay, from the November 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Cattle feeding is always a risky business. But no one foresaw the collapse in U.S. live cattle prices for the second fall in a row. One can only hope that by the time you read this, prices have put in a bottom and are on the rebound, however modest. The same applies for Canadian prices. […] Read more
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay from the November 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
The cow-calf sector is the nursery of the North American beef industry. What happens on the ranch determines whether the industry will expand or contract. This then determines what happens all the way to the retail meat case or the restaurant menu. Cattle numbers in recent years have shown different patterns north and south of […] Read more
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay from the October 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
U.S. cattle feeders might be excused for believing there is a curse on the September market. Feeders endured a historic collapse in live cattle prices in September last year, when cash prices fell more than US$27 per cwt in five weeks. Now prices have suffered another collapse, starting in mid-August, which showed no sign of […] Read more
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