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Manitoba buyers show steady demand for lighter cattle

China’s coronavirus epidemic hasn’t yet landed on local cattle prices


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Published: February 14, 2020

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Manitoba buyers show steady demand for lighter cattle

Mid-weight feeder cattle prices were steady from last week, according to Robin Hill, Heartland Livestock Auctions’ manager at Virden.

At last week’s sale, prices for 700- to 800-lb. feeder cattle were between $180 and $197 per hundredweight. Prices for 600- to 700-lb. feeders were between $196 and $221/cwt as well.

Prices during this week’s sale were almost identical, with demand for feeder cattle coming from Eastern and Western Canada as well as the southern United States.

Grain markets weren’t spared from the uncertainty injected into financial markets last week due to China’s rapidly spreading novel coronavirus outbreak, but cattle prices remained largely unscathed.

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“We haven’t seen that come back to us,” Hill said, noting strong demand for cattle under 700 lbs. that will be spending the summer on grass.

“Anyone selling light calves, especially steers under 700 lbs., are very satisfied,” he said. “It’s a nice strong market.”

However, Hill noted, heavier cattle were slightly lower, along with butcher prices due to lower demand.

Hill expected to see bred cattle coming to auction in weeks to come, as a lot of producers are calving later in the year.

About the author

Marlo Glass

Marlo Glass

Glacier MarketsFarm

Marlo Glass writes for MarketsFarm, a Glacier FarmMedia division specializing in grain and commodity market analysis and reporting.

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