Cattle sales at Heartland Livestock Services’ Brandon facility remain steady, according to manager Brad Delgaty.
Brandon was one of six Manitoba auctions open during the week of March 29 to April 4. Winnipeg Livestock Sales was closed for Good Friday, as was the Killarney Auction Mart on Easter Monday.
Delgaty said sharp declines last week in Chicago feed and live cattle futures had little effect on auction prices in Brandon.
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“Last week we saw the futures … went down the limit just about every day (and on) Monday (April 1) they came back a bit,” he said. “I’m not going to say it didn’t affect the prices, but did it affect enough that everybody noticed? No.”
He said a five cent per pound move is not as noticeable as it would have been three years ago.
In lighter cattle, Brandon saw 400 to 500-pound feeder steers sell for $450 to $490 per hundredweight and feeder heifers in the same weight class were $375 to $440. Among the heavies, 800 to 900-lb. steers fetched $315 to $340/cwt. with heifers at $270 to $310.
Cattle numbers coming to auction have been fluctuating.
“We’re getting at that point of the year that things are going to slow down. A lot of guys who have kept (cattle) this long are going to put them to out grass,” said Delgaty.
Road restrictions have also affected numbers to a minor extent, he added.
Brandon had 125 head go through the auction ring April 2.
Elsewhere, Manitoba Beef Producers issued a statement about the April 2 provincial budget. The group welcomed several measures, including extension of the gas tax cut to Sept. 30, maintaining the school tax rebate on farms at 50 per cent, and increasing the loan amount eligible for the Young Farmer Rebate to $300,000.
It also approved of the reopening of two Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation service centres and a new lending fee credit for farmers under 40 years old provided by MASC.
“Some key commitments in this budget which are important to our sector include the increased funding for the Livestock Predation Prevention Strategy, the implementation of the Veterinary Medical Services Strategy to help address shortages in this area, and the 2024 freeze on rental costs for agricultural Crown lands,” said MBP president Matthew Atkinson.
