Auction activity holds up well during pandemic

Auction activity holds up well during pandemic

Cargill resuming operations at High River is seen as supportive

As Manitoba cattle auctions continued to deal with restrictions placed on them due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pipestone Livestock Sales has held up quite well, according to auctioneer Brock Taylor. “It’s been pretty good out in this area. We have a pretty good set of buyers and they let you know when they’re coming,” he said. With the pandemic, cattle

Coronavirus ends hopes for positive year for markets

Coronavirus ends hopes for positive year for markets

Top importer China among the hardest hit, dampening demand

As 2020 began there was a lot of positive sentiment, with hopes that the year was going to be a good one for the cattle industry, said Brian Perillat, manager and senior analyst with CanFax. However, that has been changing with the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, as cattle auctions are not immune to what’s happening on


Traffic continues strong at most Manitoba livestock auctions

Traffic continues strong at most Manitoba livestock auctions

Cattle markets are climbing back up from the COVID-19 market scare

Some but not all Manitoba auction houses booked increases in cattle headed to sale between Feb. 14 and 20. Gladstone Auction Mart was one of those reporting an increase, from 801 head on Feb. 11 to 1,114 on Feb. 18. Auctioneer Tyler Slawinski said Gladstone’s numbers are likely to hold up for now, as producers

Feed prices, strong loonie drag down cattle values

Feed prices, strong loonie drag down cattle values

China’s boycott on beef poses relatively little threat

Canadian meat packers are assessing what future demand will look like for Canadian beef, though China’s recent shunning of Canadian meat products will leave cattle markets largely unscathed. This is mainly due to the fact that only about five per cent of beef exports year to date have been shipped to China, said Brian Perillat

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


Lightweights show strength at Manitoba auction sales

Lightweights show strength at Manitoba auction sales

Quantities of cattle were up from previous frosty weeks

Lightweight cattle continue to do quite well at Manitoba cattle auctions, according to two people heavily involved with the cattle industry. “Lightweights were up quite a bit. Anything that’s under 600 lbs., going to the grass, certainly has a strong market,” said Harold Unrau of Grunthal Livestock Auction Market. At Grunthal’s Feb. 12 auction, feeder

Cows herded in to holding pen

Auction action ramps up as cattle prices stay strong

CME live cattle futures head toward their 12-month highs

Manitoba cattle auctions were busy during the week ended Jan. 18, with solid prices for the large numbers moving through the rings in most locations. About 4,700 head of cattle were marketed in the province’s major auction yards during the week, up considerably from the previous week as activity picked up following the holidays. “There’s

Last auction bids farewell to 2018

Last auction bids farewell to 2018

It was a year of change for sheep and goat producers in Manitoba

Winnipeg Livestock Auction capped 2018 with one final sale December 19 with 300 animals delivered for auction. There have been many changes through the year, as some established producers chose to close the farm doors while others just started production for the first time and some chose this as the time to grow their business.


Cattle marketing year ended on an up note, Canadian Cattle Association vice-president Tyler Fulton says.

Manitoba auctions attract lots of lighter cattle

Feeder markets are expected steady through to Christmas

Harold Unrau, manager of Grunthal Livestock Auction Mart, has some advice for cattle producers who might be looking at thinning their herds. Look for other options first — sell calves early, maybe even potential replacement animals, depending on the situation — before selling cows. “It’s a bad time to reduce your herd, because butcher cows

Poor pastures and high feed prices are seeing cattle go to market earlier than planned.

Current strength in cattle prices not expected to last

Producers face early sales due to short supplies of feed

Cattle prices in Manitoba continued to hang strong during the week ended Aug. 17, as producers grappled with growing feed problems and persistent smoke from fires in British Columbia and Ontario. Volumes remained seasonally low, but one market watcher noted activity at online auctions was brisk. “When you look at video sales there are more