Weekly slaughter levels lowest in decades

Weekly slaughter levels lowest in decades

The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the June 2020 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Fed cattle This spring, weekly slaughter levels were nearly 60 per cent lower than a year ago and the lowest recorded since 1973. From mid-March to the first week of May, the cash market dropped $50.56/cwt to reach a low of $107.00/cwt. Although volumes are light, losses on cattle sold into this lower-cash market are […] Read more


Slices of thick cut steaks

Will the U.S. have enough beef?

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

A valid question arises when considering the latest supply and demand dynamics for the U.S. beef industry. Will it have enough beef to supply an expected increase in exports to its major market, Japan, and to emerging market China? The U.S. has spent years developing export markets in virtually all corners of the globe, notably […] 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


The Federal Reserve’s influence on cattle prices

The Federal Reserve’s influence on cattle prices

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

The U.S. Federal Reserve cut its key benchmark rate by 25 basis points on October 30, bringing its lending rate to the range of 1.50 per cent to 1.75 per cent. This was the third rate cut since July and it appears that Federal Reserve Chairman Powell will wait for further economic data before making […] Read more

Canadian beef exports to Japan have grown substantially in 2019.

Beef and veal exports up in 2019

Markets: News Roundup from the December 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The latest numbers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Statistics Canada show that beef and veal exports grew significantly in 2019. As of September 30, Canada had exported a total of 330,757 tonnes of beef and veal, compared to 294,527 in the same period last year, a growth of 12 per cent. The dollar value […] Read more


Behind Maple Leaf Foods’ bold call to become carbon neutral

Behind Maple Leaf Foods’ bold call to become carbon neutral

Maple Leaf Foods wants to be carbon neutral for one reason. Its emphasis is no longer about supply-side economics but rather about listening to and serving a market in desperate need of attention

Maple Leaf Foods is not just pretending to be environmentally friendly, it is trying to be a trailblazer in the wild kingdom of proteins. The company has just adopted science-based targets that will help it become the first major agrifood company in the world to be carbon neutral. Clearly motivated by the carbon tax and […] Read more

Increasing Canadian barley production is likely to keep the market under pressure for the 2019-20 crop year.

Fall feed barley update

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

It’s that time of year when I receive many inquiries about the feed barley outlook. During late June and early July, feed barley in the Lethbridge area was trading in the range of $285/mt to as high as $300/mt. At the time of writing this article in early September, feed barley was trading from $210/mt […] Read more


The U.S. bond yield premium over Canadian bond yields is eroding.

Canadian dollar enters fresh fundamentals: Klassen

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

Canadian fed and feeder cattle prices have been enhanced by the weaker exchange rate since oil prices crumbled back in the spring of 2014. At that time, the Canadian dollar was highly correlated with crude oil values. The Canadian election in 2015 contributed to the softer currency as the Liberal fiscal policies were negative for […] Read more

A variety of factors produced record profits for all processors of fed cattle last year.

Beef packers enjoy purple profit patch

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

North American beef processors are enjoying an extended period of profits that is unprecedented in the industry’s history. Packers on both sides of the border are seeing margins that would have been unthinkable five years ago. U.S. packers racked up record profits in 2017, surpassed them in 2018 and are on track for more records […] Read more