As the Killarney Auction Mart readied to shut down for the summer, Allan Munroe reflected on its most recent sale and the last six months.
“The cows and bulls are at record levels,” Munroe said of Killarney’s June 3 sale, adding prices were “lighter on the feeder cattle but they were very strong for (what) we had.”
Killarney auctioned 345 cattle on June 3 compared to 445 at its previous sale on May 13. D1-D2 slaughter cows sold for $170 to $185 per hundredweight on June 3, up slightly from three weeks earlier, and mature bulls also edged up a little, going for $210-$227/cwt. compared to $200-$215 previously.
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While feeder cattle were fully steady, there were a few exceptions. Heifers in the 400 to 500-pound weight class increased to $410-$440/cwt. from $370-$395 on May 13. Among 600 to 700 lb. steers, prices rose to $375-$412/cwt. on June 3 compared to $365 to $412 on May 13.
Munroe said there has been a lot of optimism in the cattle industry during the last 18 months, and especially over the last six.
“It’s been exciting. The dollars we’re turning around in the business are so much more than we have ever seen.”
He said some producers are taking the opportunity wind down their cattle operations. For those staying in the business, he noted some bred cows were already booked for the fall run but “I have not seen much for heifer retention.”
That could mean fewer cattle available in the months to come, further underpinning current prices.
“There’s a feeling that the next couple of years should be pretty positive in this business,” Munroe said. “People are happy to have cows now. It’s a completely different attitude towards the cow business that what it was even a year and a half ago.”
Rain in southern Manitoba is another factor that spurred optimism.
“There’s grass around this year. We haven’t seen that for a while. It’s the best spring for a number of years for moisture. There’s optimism in the business when there’s grass in the pastures,” Munroe said.
The week of June 7 to 13 will see seven of Manitoba’s cattle auctions open, with only Heartland Livestock Services’ Virden facility closed. That week will also have the final sales of spring for Killarney and Ashern, ahead of the summer shut down. June 13 might be the last spring sale date for Ste. Rose, as it tentatively has an auction scheduled for June 20.
