Tariffs not on U.S. rancher radar

Tariffs not on U.S. rancher radar

Cattle groups take their advocacy directly to U.S. livestock producers

Glacier FarmMedia — The Canadian Cattle Association says the threatened 25 per cent tariffs would cut Canadian wholesale beef prices by 13 per cent, but effects would be tempered slightly by a low Canadian dollar. “Obviously a huge blow to the benchmark beef price,” CCA vice-president Tyler Fulton says. “I think many of us would […] Read more

FCC’s charts to consider in 2025

FCC’s charts to consider in 2025

On a per-acre basis, equipment costs have risen faster than farm revenue

Editor’s Note: Following are excerpts from a Jan. 15 blog post by the Economics branch of Farm Credit Canada. “As we start the new year amid new challenges, including slowing population growth and potential trade barriers, here are our top charts to help make sense of the economic environment for the agriculture and agri-food sector, […] Read more


beef

How tariffs could influence cattle prices

The Markets: A 10 per cent tariff on Canadian cattle could be absorbed by U.S. consumer prices

During the first couple weeks of January, auction markets in Western Canada experienced a surge in sales as cow-calf producers increased selling prior to the Trump inauguration. Feeder cattle markets have been trading at record highs, which may have contributed to the feeder cattle liquidation; however, most cattle producers were selling in anticipation of U.S. […] Read more

beef carcasses

Beef demand made seasonal highs in July

The Markets: Cattle markets have started to grind lower, but the feeder market has held

The beef market appears to have made a seasonal high during the first week of July. Wholesale choice beef prices reached up to US$329/cwt during the week ending July 6 before fading to US$319/cwt during the third week of July. Weaker wholesale values have resulted in lower U.S. fed cattle values. During the first week […] Read more


Photo: Canada Beef

Maritime beef producers get price protection

Two-year pilot gives Maritime producers an equivalent program to the rest of the country

Producers in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and soon Nova Scotia, will have access to a program that will allow them to purchase insurance on price protection for their beef cattle in case of an unforeseen market disruption.

The beef cattle industry is bracing for a level of heifer retention this summer and fall that's expected to lower the feeder cattle supply.

Lower feedlot placements support cattle market

Cow-calf producers should think about selling calves in late summer versus fall

During the last week of April, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a live basis in the range of $256-$258 per hundredweight delivered, up $18/cwt from three weeks earlier. Alberta fed cattle basis levels have strengthened as market-ready supplies tighten. In Kansas and Texas, live sales, f.o.b. feedlot, were reported at US$182/cwt, down US$3/cwt […] Read more


A year-over-year decrease in Q1 feeder cattle placements in both Canada and the U.S. is expected to lead to tighter market-ready supplies during the summer.

Expect stronger cattle markets for third quarter

A surprise reduction in beef production could mean higher prices

During the second week of March, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $378-$380 per hundredweight (cwt) delivered. Prices f.o.b. (free on board) the feedlot in southern Alberta were quoted from $225 to $226/cwt. The market has been consolidating over the past month, as market-ready fed cattle supplies […] Read more

Nearly half of a beef carcass is consumed by consumers with average to above-average incomes.

How consumer spending drives fed cattle prices

Here's why a small change in spending affects the beef market

Cattle producers are bombarded with charts and data from cattle inventory reports and cattle on feed surveys. During the fall of 2023, live cattle futures and were trending lower. Every analyst I was reading was focused on how low supplies were from a historical perspective; however, fed cattle prices were on a downward spiral. It’s […] Read more


Kit Pharo says ranchers can increase their production per acre and their profitability.

A key to cattle business survival

Produce more pounds of beef per acre versus more pounds per cow, this U.S. rancher says

North America producers are receiving higher prices for cattle than ever before — “yet very few are really profitable,” Kit Pharo says. Most cow-calf producers “are too dependent on outside inputs, which are also at record-high costs,” says Pharo, who operates Pharo Cattle Company in Colorado and was the keynote speaker at the recent Holistic […] Read more

Cattle producers need to be aware, as we head toward 2025, that a small change in supply has a large influence on price.

Cattle herd declines while economy expands

One per cent increase in consumer spending means one per cent increase in beef demand

I often place myself two years in the future, with a view of the past two years. The old saying is that hindsight is 20/20. Well then, place yourself in the future and look backward. If I were giving a cattle market outlook in March 2026, the summary would be the following: During 2024, feeder […] Read more