Insights and Stories on Beef Prices

May. 31, 2016 at 7:37 pm CDT

After a firmer tone the last two weeks, feeder cattle values felt sluggish across the Prairies. Western Canadian prices were quoted from unchanged to $5 lower; smaller sales with variable quality saw prices fall as much as $10 below week-ago levels. Feedlot operators were taken aback by the sharp decline […]

By Jerry Klassen

May. 10, 2016 at 11:59 am CDT

Alberta fed cattle prices dropped sharply last week, with dressed sales falling $10 to $20 from seven days earlier. Despite the weakening Canadian dollar, wholesale beef prices also fell US$10/cwt which offset any currency benefit. Feedlot operators froze with disbelief as the market suffered one of the sharpest week-over-week declines […]

By Jerry Klassen

Apr. 26, 2016 at 11:30 am CDT

Just when I thought feeder cattle prices were stabilizing, once again the unexpected occurs. A sharp rally in U.S. grain futures, along with weaker fed cattle prices, caused western Canadian feeder cattle to trade $6-$12 lower compared to week-ago levels. Auction markets reported limited buying interest, with often only two […]

By Jerry Klassen

Apr. 18, 2016 at 7:09 pm CDT

Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively stable over the past week while prices in the major feeding regions were $2 to $5 higher. Alberta fed cattle prices were $2 higher, trading in the range of $170 to $172, which bolstered buying enthusiasm in the heavier weight categories. Feedlot operators […]

By Jerry Klassen

Apr. 18, 2016 at 5:15 pm CDT

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed sharply lower on Monday, with nearby contracts down by their three-cent-pr-pound daily price limit, shaken by sell stops and fund liquidation, traders said. April and June live cattle ended down by the three-cent limit at 128.475 and 119.175 cents/lb., […]

By Theopolis Waters