A beef cow grazes fall pasture in central Manitoba in late September.

Warm September, warm demand in Manitoba cattle markets

Prices remain strong as calves enter the market

Cattle prices at Manitoba auction sites for the week ended Oct. 3 remained strong as warmer temperatures allowed cattle to stay on pasture for a little while longer. Producers are expected to begin selling calves in the next week or two.



Photo: File

New program focuses on data literacy for cow-calf producers 

Case studies and mentoring will help give farm data decision-making power 

The Data Literacy for Cow-Calf Producers project aims to give farmers and ranchers the chance to discuss best practices and learn from experts and peers about how to use data to make better business decisions.  Data management has varied adoption in the cow-calf sector.

Stuart Chutter, senior policy advisor with AFSC, is looking for a diverse group of cow-calf producers to participate in an analysis of the AgriStability program. Photo: Nicole Sendziak

Manitoba beef eyes Alberta AgriStability pilot

The program aims to identify how to close gaps for cow-calf producers

Manitoba’s beef sector is hopeful an Alberta pilot program that addresses AgriStability’s position on cow-calf expenses might spread to other regions. “We hope to see it kind of nationwide as long as the pilot shows benefit to our industry, whether that’s reflecting pasture costs in the eligible expenses or looking at how they do the


“There’s a lot that we can do to provide support to producers who are willing to try things ... and I think that there’s a lot of ground to be gained.” – Aaron Knodel.

Low emitting cow-calf farms move in step with profitability

The variability of the cow-calf sector means there are many levers to pull to increase financial, environmental sustainability, says researcher

A study benchmarking cow-calf profitability against greenhouse gas intensity suggests profitable farms tend to have lower emissions, but there’s a lot of room to work on both sides of the equation. “There’s a lot that we can do to provide support to producers who are willing to try things … and I think that there’s

CME October 2023 feeder cattle with 20-, and 100-day moving averages and May 2023 feeder cattle (black line). (Barchart)

Klassen: Weather forecasts underpin feeder market

High forage costs pose problem for cow-calf expansion

For the week ending Saturday, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged from seven days earlier. The finishing feedlot operator appears to be dominating the feeder market across all weight categories. Ontario interest was creeping all the way into Alberta, especially for Limousin-type genetics. There were limited numbers on offer in Manitoba and Saskatchewan


CME August 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

Klassen: Stronger deferred live cattle support feeder market

Cow-calf operators seen hesitant to expand

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. Calf prices were mostly unchanged compared to seven days earlier; however, there were pockets where buyers reported prices up $2-$3 on average. The Alberta calf market appeared to stage a minor recovery after softening over the past month. Manitoba markets

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market rations demand

Risk discount built in with adverse weather

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calf prices were steady to $6 lower. Demand from Ontario buyers caused markets in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan to hold value. Alberta prices were under pressure as the market appears to be rationing demand. Calf prices are 25-30 per cent higher than year-ago