Insights and Stories of Jerry Klassen

Mar. 2, 2010 at 3:44 pm CST

March 1 — Western Canadian feeder cattle prices remain under pressure despite strength in the slaughter cattle market. Alberta and Saskatchewan auction market volumes are running 10-12 per cent above last year’s, but with the slower export pace, supplies will remain above year ago levels into April. As of Jan. […]

By Jerry Klassen

Feb. 22, 2010 at 6:47 pm CST

Feb. 22 — Statistics Canada’s Jan. 1 cattle inventory report was viewed as friendly to the cattle complex due to the lower overall inventory; however, the feeder cattle numbers were actually price-negative. The 2009 calf crop was estimated at 5.11 million head, down marginally from 5.288 million head in 2008. […]

By Jerry Klassen

Feb. 16, 2010 at 12:16 am CST

Feb. 15 — The 2008 Canadian calf crop was 5.288 million head. The January-through-June 2009 calf crop was 4.402 million. My projections have the July-through-December 2009 calf crop at 700,000 head. (Official data will be available later this month.) If we account for dairy retention, Canadian beef calves born from […]

By Jerry Klassen

Feb. 8, 2010 at 11:59 pm CST

Feb. 8 — A weaker Canadian dollar and softer feed grain prices have set a positive tone to the feeder cattle market in Western Canada. Finishing feedlots are realizing lower costs per pound gain and there appears to be renewed optimism as margins slowly improve. Auction market numbers in Alberta […]

By Jerry Klassen

Feb. 2, 2010 at 4:37 pm CST

Feb. 1 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cattle inventory report was considered constructive for the beef complex. Total U.S. cattle inventory as of Jan. 1 was 93.701 million, down one per cent from last year. Beef cows that have calved were also down one per cent from last year […]

By Jerry Klassen