Brenna Grant from CanFax visited Manitoba in mid-January to give cattle producers a peek into 
2023 expectations.

Cattle market to keep stride

The upcoming year should see the continuation of strong prices

The beef sector can expect the market to keep its momentum in 2023. That was the message as CanFax made the rounds in Manitoba in mid-January to present the latest economic forecasts to producers. Why it matters: A string of hard production years was followed by a surge in calf and feeder prices, but that


“There’s no doubt that cash flow has been extremely tight in the industry, especially after the drought last year, there’s not a huge appetite to be buying in at current prices when everything is just so fresh.” – Tyler Fulton, Manitoba Beef Producers.

Cattle crunch: Tug of war on herd rebuilding prospects

Better prices mean a better outlook for the cattle sector, but will that be enough for producers who feel like they’ve had enough?

It was a tough spring, coming off a tough winter, coming off an even tougher drought year in 2021, but there is finally pay off in the sales ring for cattle producers. Tyler Fulton, president of the Manitoba Beef Producers, estimates that local calf prices are 30 to 50 cents per pound higher than at

The number of breeding cows in the U.S. has dropped by a million head, which is one of the factors that’s been driving wholesale beef prices higher.

Cattle producers struggle but beef suppliers are doing just fine

Wholesale beef prices at record levels but those strong prices haven’t made their way to producers

Glacier FarmMedia – The good news is that beef prices are extremely strong, even in the face of record beef production in North America. “We have record-high wholesale beef prices right now,” CANFAX manager and senior analyst Brian Perillat said at the recent (and virtual) Canadian Beef Industry Conference. Unfortunately, cattle prices are just not

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

A difficult year for Manitoba’s cattle industry

COVID backlogs and market pivots were all just part of the challenge

It would be something of an understatement to say the Manitoba cattle industry faced a tough year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a pair of industry experts. “Prices were volatile and then very flat in the second half of the year,” commented Brian Perillat, manager and senior analyst for CanFax. He


Cattle producers have lofty new goals in the run-up to 2030.

Beef sector aims for new 2030 targets

The beef operation of 2030 will have a smaller environmental footprint,better grazing ecosystems and greater efficiency

The Canadian beef industry has new benchmarks to strive for in the next decade. The organizations involved in Canada’s National Beef Strategy — the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canada Beef Breeds Council, Beef Cattle Research Council, Canada Beef, The National Cattle Feeders’ Association, Canadian Meat Council and Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef — have announced a

Cattle prices strong heading into autumn

Fed cattle prices remain slightly depressed

Feeder cattle prices have recovered to levels seen this time last year, due largely to strong demand for cattle coming off the grass. “Last week, we were steady to five cents per pound higher when compared to last year,” said Brian Perillat, senior analyst at Canfax in Calgary. “Calf and feeder markets are doing well,

Pasture conditions and hay prices will be significant indicators for cattle markets going into summer.

Manitoba cattle market softens into springtime

Spring highs appear to be in, with bigger supplies ahead

Cattle volumes were down at auctions across the province on the week ended May 3, which is par for the course after spring highs were observed weeks prior. “It’s been an interesting couple of weeks,” said Brian Perillat of Canfax in Calgary. “We’ve seen weakness recently in the cash markets.” Perillat believed that spring highs


Demand strength, moderate supplies lift cattle prices

Demand strength, moderate supplies lift cattle prices

Eastern buyers took some higher-quality slaughter cattle

Market activity was steady and predictable at Manitoba’s cattle auction for the week ended March 29. With fewer slaughter cattle coming to market each week, prices remained fairly even, lifting up three to five cents per pound in some areas. Some slaughter cattle stayed local, with higher-quality cattle heading east into Ontario and Quebec. “Fed

By December 2018, 365,791 head had been sold in Manitoba, up from 362,899 sold in all of 2017.

Manitoba sees good cattle prices in 2018 despite adverse weather

Concerns over a U.S. ‘wall of beef’ may drag on markets

As 2018 wraps up and Manitoba’s cattle auctions wind down their operations for the holidays, the total number of head sold so far has already surpassed the previous year’s numbers. While there is some optimism in the cattle industry for better numbers in 2019, it comes down to ‘wait and see.’ Going into December, 365,791