EU flags in front of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. (Jorisvo/iStock/Getty Images)

Market Intelligence Report from Canada Beef: Shrinking cattle herds in Europe bump Canadian beef imports

As Europe’s beef producers face drought, high feed costs and limited forage, the EU’s imports of Canadian beef have grown slightly, and are expected to continue growing modestly. However, the biggest challenge to further growth of Canadian beef in this market is the limited number of beef plants in Canada that are willing to meet […] Read more

Cattle use round bales as a wind break. (NDSU photo)

Klassen: Yearling return to the lineup on strong demand

Frigid temperatures result in limited volumes

The market hasn’t missed a beat and started the year where it left in December. The only difference is there are larger supplies of yearlings coming on stream. The benchmark levels had backgrounded steers averaging 1,000 pounds trading from $280-$285/cwt with top bids rounding at $290/cwt. Steers averaging 850-pounds were averaging $300/cwt with top-notch larger groups peaking at $305.


Market Intelligence Update from Canada Beef: U.S. beef demand on track to remain among 20-year highs

Market Intelligence Update from Canada Beef: U.S. beef demand on track to remain among 20-year highs

It is no secret that Americans like to barbeque and Circana’s May 2023 consumer survey suggests strong grilling activity for the summer of 2023. U.S. beef demand has been steady so far this year but muted shifts between channels and products are apparent. The current support for beef in the U.S. economy is overshadowed by […] Read more

Cattle-on-feed numbers rise, feed costs remain at ‘record-high levels’

Cattle-on-feed numbers rise, feed costs remain at ‘record-high levels’

The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the February 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Fed cattle Smaller slaughter numbers and lighter carcass weights through the holidays led to a stronger cash price as we started the new year. The first week of trade in 2023 ended with an average of $186.04/cwt, which was $1.54/cwt higher than the end of 2022 and over a $3/cwt improvement from the December low. […] Read more


Japan has consistently been a top customer and is the leading international market for U.S. red meat.

Beef exports add huge value

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

Exports are the lifeblood of the U.S. beef industry, even more so than in Canada if one excludes its exports south. U.S. exports added more than US $476 to the value of each fed steer or heifer in the first seven months of this year. From virtually no beef export sales in the 1970s, the […] Read more

Continued drought conditions are forcing cattle into feedlots and moving cow-calf producers to reduce their numbers.

No relief in sight for drought-stricken U.S. cattle producers

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

Drought continues to afflict the U.S. cattle/beef industry. Since I last wrote about its consequences in my May column, conditions have only gotten worse in many parts of the country and there is no relief in sight. These conditions continue to force cattle into feedlots and cow-calf producers to keep reducing their beef cow numbers […] Read more