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Tag Archives cattle markets

beef carcasses
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Beef demand made seasonal highs in July

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

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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
File photo of cattle on feed near Champion, Alta., about 75 km north of Lethbridge. (James_Gabbert/iStock/Getty Images)
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Markets

Tighter fed cattle supplies support feeder market

U.S. beef producers are not yet holding back enough heifers for expansion

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During the first week of June, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a live basis at $261 per hundredweight, f.o.b, feedlot in southern Alberta, up $4/cwt from a month earlier. Market-ready supplies of fed cattle were sharply above year-ago levels earlier in winter, but the backlog has slowly been alleviated through the spring period. […] Read more
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.
Cattleman’s Corner, Markets

Lower feedlot placements support cattle market

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

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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
Fed cattle are still at high prices despite a recent pullback.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Cattle market works to ration demand

Cattle prices are expected to reach historic highs this summer, then drop

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During the first half of April, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a live basis at $240 per hundredweight delivered, up $8/cwt from a month earlier. Market-ready fed cattle supplies in Alberta and Saskatchewan are tightening, causing the fed cattle basis to strengthen. While the Canadian domestic slaughter is running slightly below year-over-year levels, […] 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.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Expect stronger cattle markets for third quarter

A surprise reduction in beef production could mean higher prices

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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
(HLS.ca/virden)
Livestock, Markets

Flu outbreak sees buyers balk at beef futures

Cash prices fairly level; beef producers should look into risk management tools, analysts say

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Markets have seen cattle futures (mainly live and fed) decline in recent weeks as the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain made its way into dairy herds in six states to date. The good news, said a cattle auction leader and market expert, is that cash prices have remained more-or-less steady amid the chaos.
Nearly half of a beef carcass is consumed by consumers with average to above-average incomes.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

How consumer spending drives fed cattle prices

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

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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
The U.S. calf crop for 2023 came in at 33.593 million head, down 846,500 from the 2022 calf crop of 34.44 million.
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Lower U.S. calf crop supports cattle complex

Conditions are developing that should support record calf prices next fall

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The Alberta fed cattle market remains under pressure due to a buildup of market-ready cattle, larger carcass weights and seasonally low demand. During the last week of January, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $360-$365 per hundredweight delivered. Live bids f.o.b. feedlot in southern Alberta were quoted […] Read more
When commercial and managed-money positions are at an extreme low or high, that represents a turning signal for the market.
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Understanding the Commitments of Traders report

The U.S. report, released every Friday, is an important indicator of cattle market movement

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Who is long? Who is short? How much of each? This is the most important market information when studying the futures markets. The Commitments of Traders (CoT) report is released every Friday afternoon by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and shows the trading positions of market participants as of Tuesday’s close. Whether you […] Read more
It’s important that feedlot operators and cow-calf producers are aware of the supply and demand balance for fed cattle.
Cattleman’s Corner, Markets

Lessons from last September’s cattle market drop

A small change in cattle numbers can result in a large drop in market value

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CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) December 2023 live cattle futures made a high of US$199.75 per hundredweight on Sept. 15. The market held at the higher levels until the end of September and then started to trend low, bottoming around $166 on Dec. 7 (all figures US$). There were a few signals stating that the market […] Read more

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