Photo: Canada Beef

Stronger demand and lower supplies boost price

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

The December live cattle futures made a low of $173.50 on September 9. At the time of writing this article, the December contract was $189. During September and October, the live cattle futures rallied about $16. In the U.S., the four largest packing firms handle 85 per cent of all steer and heifer purchases. Apparently, […] Read more


The reduction in cow slaughter volumes since May suggests the Canadian beef cow herd is entering the consolidation phase of the cattle cycle.

Canadian beef cow inventory smaller, fed carcass weights heavier

BeefWatch is prepared by the staff of Canfax and Canfax Research Services, divisions of the Canadian Cattle Association

The Canadian beef cow herd is showing signs of entering the consolidation phase of the cattle cycle. Beef cow inventories were smaller, but there were more beef breeding heifers on July 1. The U.S. cattle herd is estimated to have declined from last year. Feeder imports from Mexico and heavier carcass weights have supported U.S. […] Read more

‘Don’t pay for analysis that has no influence or minor influence on the cattle market.’ – Jerry Klassen

What is market analysis for the cattle producer?

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

When I provide cattle or grain market outlooks for a producer group or specific organization, I start the presentation by asking how many of the attendees subscribe to some type of market analysis. It is no surprise that there is usually a handful of people who put up their hands. Often cattle producers will say […] Read more


Cow herd recovery remains elusive

Cow herd recovery remains elusive

News Roundup from the November 2024 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Despite high cattle prices, there are few signs that producers are preparing to increase the size of their herds. High calf prices have been a good news story for cow-calf producers, but they’ve done little to help Canada recover its diminished beef herd. “According to Statistics Canada, we’ve seen a decrease in total cattle inventories […] Read more

Look for a slow rebuild of the U.S. cattle herd

Look for a slow rebuild of the U.S. cattle herd

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

The U.S. beef cattle industry is smaller than needed and signals for rebuilding will continue in the coming months. But herd rebuilding is likely to be slow to start and proceed quite slowly initially. So says Oklahoma State University’s Derrell Peel in his latest analysis of the prospects for herd expansion. Meanwhile, a CoBank report […] Read more


Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

Cattle market transitioning to expansion

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

The fed and feeder cattle markets have been quite volatile over the past couple of months. Cattle producers have been overwhelmed with discussions to explain the recent price behaviour. On August 3, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that job growth during July was lower than expected. The live and feeder cattle futures dropped […] Read more

Weakness in equity markets pulls cattle markets lower

Weakness in equity markets pulls cattle markets lower

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

Live and feeder cattle futures dropped sharply in early August.  While the supply fundamentals for the cattle market hadn’t changed, the cattle futures started to incorporate a risk discount due to the uncertainty in demand. Consumer confidence appears to be decreasing and job growth has slowed. Restaurant spending made seasonal highs in June and recent […] Read more