The post Manitoba cattle prices, Jan. 28 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Gladstone Auction Mart, Grunthal Livestock Auction Mart and Heartland Livestock Services (HLS) in Brandon all conducted their first regular sales of 2024 on Jan. 9. HLS in Virden followed suit the next day, while Winnipeg Livestock Sales already had its first regular sale Jan. 5.

Killarney, Ashern and Ste. Rose Auction Marts resumed regular sales on Jan. 15, 17 and 18, respectively.

Tyler Slawinski, auctioneer at Gladstone, said only 319 cattle went through the rings but the cow and bull market was stronger than anticipated. Feeder steers weighing 600 pounds or lighter sold for at least $400 per hundredweight.

Feeder heifers at 500 lb. or lighter were purchased for $360/cwt. or more. D1 and D2 slaughter cows ranged in price from $105 to $118/cwt., while mature bulls sold for $138 to $143/cwt.

“It didn’t set any records starting the year off, but it’s headed in the right direction,” said Slawinski.

“The feeder market was very strong … what we did have sold very promisingly and quite strong. Anything that’s fit for grass or targeting grassing weights, I think there’s a lot of optimism buying these lighter calves and maybe pushing them to hit those grassing weight targets with anticipation that the grass cattle numbers just aren’t going to be there.”

He said quality varied in the first sale from top-notch cattle to third cut.

“We were happy to receive whatever cattle we did for the first sale,” he said.

“There was quite a variety in the first-cut cattle where it was selling really strong and even getting down into the second- and third-cut cattle, we were bringing in all the money one could expect.”

Despite recent winter storms in the U.S. Midwest, cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange continued to trade sideways. The February live cattle contract closed Jan. 11 at US$171.800/cwt., a gain of 67.5 cents from one week earlier. As for the March feeder cattle contract, it advanced $1.75/cwt. over the week to close at $227.400.

Slawinski said most of the cattle sold in Manitoba were on their way west, but there were “eastern-quality cattle” too. There are backlogs of fat cattle in both Western and Eastern Canada and the lowest numbers of cattle nationwide since 1987, but he said strong prices are cause for optimism among producers.

“We’re going to be faced with new challenges going into 2024. Moving forward, hopefully they’re not too big of a hindrance and we can overcome them quite easily and we can have another couple of good years with these positive prices for the cow-calf producer,” he said.

Recent snowstorms across much of southern Manitoba alleviated some concerns about dryness in the region and Slawinski expects the number of cattle going through the rings to remain soft until later this month.

“As we get into the month, we’re going to see more cattle start trickling into the market once again, as commerce picks up after the New Year and after the holidays. I think numbers are going to increase back to normal numbers to what we would generally see in the springtime as opposed to these big numbers we see in the fall.”

The post Cattle auction sites reopen for 2024 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“I think there’s a shortage of market-ready fat cattle. There’s strong demand and dwindling supply,” he said, noting a large number of light cattle are coming in for sale.

“I think it’s a reflection of the price. Those light steers are worth pretty good money.”

At 1,347 head, the total sold at Killarney’s Nov. 6 auction was down slightly from its sale the week prior.

“We are still seeing a lot of light calves coming in, which is more than we usually do,” he said, pointing to Killarney’s forthcoming auctions.

“Our next two Mondays are full right up. Our sale on Nov. 27, it will be full probably in the next few days. They’re going to come right through to the end of December.”

While cattle quality has been good, Munroe said Killarney was starting to see variation.

“Some are chewing on stubble, some are weaned with lots of feed in them,” he said, noting the latter is more cost-effective.

“I do think the guys who are keeping [their cattle] and putting the pounds, there’s potential for them to get paid to put those pounds on. You look at $200 per head difference from 100 lb., the cost to gain that isn’t that high.”

While prices for cattle at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange always drive the North American cattle market, Munroe said cattle numbers in Canada and the U.S. continue to drop, which is a prime reason for high prices in Manitoba’s cattle industry.

As for Killarney’s Nov. 6 auction, he said prices were fully steady, showing little change from the Oct. 30 sale.

The biggest change came with the 300- to 400-lb. feeder steers, which sold for $465-$503 per hundredweight on Oct. 30. That same weight class fetched a little more last week at $470-$519/cwt.

There was a similar small gain with the 300- to 400-lb. feeder heifers, having sold for $340-$375/cwt. a week ago, compared to $345-$390/cwt. on Nov. 6.

Slaughter prices between the auction dates were virtually unchanged. D1-D2 cows held at $125-$135/cwt., while butcher steers dipped from $150-$160/cwt. at the prior sale to $140-$155.

The post ‘Strong demand and dwindling supply’ seen on cattle appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Hired to the position last month, Delgaty’s first order of business was to bring HLS Brandon’s regular weekly auction sales back to Tuesdays, ending a short-lived excursion to Friday sales. So far, the schedule change has paid dividends, as evidenced by the 1,843 cattle going through the rings on Oct. 31.

“(It’s been) really good. Really responsive,” said Delgaty, whose family also raises horses near Minnedosa.

“The producers have really responded (to) going back so they can deliver on Sundays. A lot of them have help on the weekends or they work during the week. We had just around 1,900 this week with the regular sale and the pre-sort (sale) so that’s pretty good.”

With the fall run in full swing, 15,894 cattle were sold in weekly regular sales at Manitoba cattle auction sites during the week ended Nov. 2, despite a substantial snowfall in the final week of October. By comparison, 14,691 head were sold the previous week.

The weather “would definitely help with the numbers, just because of the snow. Guys have to start taking cows off of pasture and when they do that, the calves come to town,” Delgaty said. “Our (calf) numbers are climbing back up.”

There were nearly 600 more cattle at the Oct. 31 sale than the previous week in Brandon, and prices for lightweight feeder steers moved above $500 per hundredweight. Some lightweight heifers also sold for more than $400/cwt. and slaughter prices increased for D1 and D2 cows as well as mature bulls.

“Last week, we’ve seen (prices) everywhere were under pressure. But this week, they’ve bounced back and they’re fully steady,” Delgaty added.

Cattle prices at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange recovered from a sharp one-day price drop on Oct. 23. The December live cattle contract closed at US$184.675/cwt. on Nov. 2, a gain of $5.35 from one week earlier. The January feeder cattle contract ended Nov. 2 at $242.175/cwt., up $7.10 from the previous week.

Delgaty said the cattle sold were moving into Eastern and Western Canada, with all classifications in high demand. He doesn’t anticipate too many changes to prices over the next week or so.

“So far, everything seems like it’s going to be very steady from what it was this week. Next week should be very comparable to this week,” he said.

The post Brandon auction books some terrific Tuesdays appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

A bearish monthly cattle-on-feed report plunged prices at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Oct. 23. In total, 11.58 million cattle were in U.S. feedlots on Oct. 1, a gain of 0.6 per cent from one year earlier. The trade had expected a 0.3 per cent drop. 

Placements during September totalled 2.206 million head, up 10 per cent from August and up six per cent from September 2022. Trade expectations were for a 0.8 per cent yearly increase. 

As a result, the December live cattle contract fell US$6.275/cwt. on Oct. 23 and ended the week with a $5.975/cwt. loss to close at $179.325. The January feeder cattle contract dropped $6.425/ cwt. on Oct. 23 and ended the week at $236.50/cwt., a loss of $8 on the week. 

Virden-based cattle consultant Rick Wright, who is also executive secretary of the Livestock Markets Association of Canada, said the volume seen at cattle auction sites was ahead of schedule. While prices for feeders have slightly softened over the past week, Wright said they are still near record highs. 

“We did see a correction at the end of last week and most of this week, but that seems to have levelled off now,” he said. “This (correction) was just a little bit of a shake in the confidence on the number of cattle out there… Most of those were placed earlier during the drought in the U.S. and I’m surprised the analysts were way off in their predictions prior to the release of the report. 

“We’ll see things straighten up over the next week or 10 days. Will we get back to pre-adjustment prices? Maybe not. But the prices are still really good.” 

The calf run is approaching its peak and additional cattle will be going through the rings. However, many sellers may opt to stay home after the first major snowfalls of the season went through southern Manitoba Oct. 25-26. “This weather that we’re having here may have an influence on the deliveries (at the end of October), depending on how long these road conditions and snow last,” Wright said.

“It will certainly prompt the producers to bring cattle in from the pastures and either wean them or sell them. Whether they can get them to the market or not will depend on what the weather’s going to be like.” 

Greater buying interest is expected from Ontario and Quebec as their corn harvest comes to an end. Alberta has also shown interest and local buyers are just getting started, according to Wright. 

After the calf run, volume is expected to decline and transportation issues such as a lack of drivers and trailers can still rear their ugly heads. However, Wright does not predict any price declines in the short term. 

“We’re going to see reasonably steady prices,” he said. “In general, the calf market has a pretty good feel to it.”

The post U.S. futures plunge leaves Manitoba cattle prices unaffected appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The highest price for a steer was $525 per hundredweight at both Gladstone and Ste. Rose Auction Marts. Both weighed 400 pounds or less. All but one auction site, Winnipeg Livestock Sales, sold lightweight steers for $500/cwt. or more during the week. In the previous week, the highest price was $510/cwt. at Heartland Livestock Services and only Heartland and Gladstone sold lightweight steers for more than $500/cwt.

Gladstone also had the highest price for a heifer at $450/cwt., compared to $405 the previous week at Ste. Rose.

As for slaughter cattle, D1 and D2 cow prices ranged from $117 to $138/cwt. compared to $120-$146.50 the week before. Mature bulls went for $105-$188/cwt. after going for $90-$188 the previous week.

Tyler Slawinski, auctioneer at Gladstone and Ashern Auction Marts, said producers believe the time is right to sell.

“They want to take full advantage on the prices that are there and available now. We’re starting to see a lot more cattle that are traded being lighter because the prices are so good. They’re selling well right now.”

Slawinski said that, while he doesn’t think prices can get much higher, feed grain prices have come down over the past few months and that may further support prices.

“(But) consumers just won’t pay that kind of money over the meat counter,” he added. According to Statistics Canada, prices for fresh and frozen beef increased by 2.4 per cent on average from July to August, as well as 11.9 per cent year over year.

“These high slaughter prices are going to help the bred market somewhat… But it’s still going to be high enough where these guys who are close to retirement are going to say, ‘It’s never been this high before. Why not cash the chips in now and maybe retire earlier than anticipated?’”

On the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the December live cattle contract closed slightly lower than the week before at US$189.50/cwt. on Sept. 21, but reached an all-time high two days earlier at $192.05. The November feeder cattle contract also hit a contract high of $268.25/cwt. on Sept. 15, but closed at $262.70 on Sept. 21.

Slawinski said there was high demand for cattle from Ontario early in the fall run and he anticipates prices will come down once a new influx of cattle enters the market.

“There’s definitely been a flood of slaughter cows and bulls. I would say, as weaning starts, there’s going to be more of those cows and bulls coming to town that are normally culled.”

The post Producers ask if now is the time to sell appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“There’s a shortage of cattle in North America with the number at record lows,” said Kiesman. “I’m hoping prices remain strong, definitely on the feeder cattle and calves. The cows, typically you start seeing a slump after the September long weekend.

“Most cow-calf guys and feedlot guys are going to see the most money they have ever seen,” he added.

Ashern hosted its most recent auction on Sept. 13, its first since Aug. 23, with almost 800 cattle for sale.

Kiesman said prices for slaughter cattle softened slightly compared to August. For example, on Sept. 13 mature bulls fetched $90 to $164 per hundredweight compared to the $149 to $189 on Aug. 23. Also, D1 to D2 cows went from $140 to $155/cwt. at the last August sale to $120 to $135 for the first September auction. D3 to D5s slipped to $110 to $120, compared to $120 to $140/cwt. in August.

“We are starting to see more cattle get pulled off of pastures and get dumped on the slaughter side,” he said.

Manitoba’s Interlake region is running a little bit behind the rest of the province. Kiesman said producers often put their cattle on pasture somewhat later and keep them out longer in hopes of putting more weight on them.

As for the lead up to the fall run, he said there’s been a good number of yearlings coming to sale and a larger influx will likely begin within two weeks.

Ashern jumped from only 34 feeder steers and heifers at its Aug. 23 sale to 623 last week. In August, the smaller sample of cattle saw 600-to-700-pound feeder steers get $205 to $329/cwt. Prices for the same weight class climbed to $300 to $360 last week. Feeder heifers of the same class shifted slightly to $290 to $335, compared to $300 to $317/cwt. in August.

Kiesman said Ashern has scheduled its next sale Sept. 27 and then will switch back to a weekly auction. The rest of Manitoba’s eight cattle auctions will be open during the week of Sept. 15 to 21.

Also of note, Heartland Livestock Services has moved the day for its Brandon auction from Tuesdays to Fridays, while keeping Virden on Wednesdays.

“We’re looking after both places, so we had to move the sale to accommodate our staff,” said manager Brennin Jack, noting Fridays will see more buyers attend the Brandon auction.

The post Slaughter cattle prices dip ahead of fall run appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Among them are measures to mitigate the effects of drought and flood, as well as the need for good roads and infrastructure to move livestock. Programs to support beef producers, which Callum said provide less than what grain farmers receive through crop insurance, are also on the wish list.

“We just don’t have an equitable program in the beef space that would really help address some of the concerns and challenges over the last number of years.”

Callum said there are worries in the beef industry about land conversion.

“The differences in commodity prices between grains and live cattle have been quite drastic and, until this year, we haven’t seen such an improvement in cattle prices. Because of that difference in commodities, we’ve seen conversion of marginal land…[to growing] cash crop commodities,” he said, noting MBP wants cattle to remain on those marginal lands.

With the fall run ready to begin, Callum said the shortage of livestock haulers remains an issue.

“We’ve seen a decrease in available livestock haulers in Manitoba and even across the country over the last number of years. We need to ensure that government regulation, be it federal or provincial, doesn’t impede that commerce and doesn’t slow things down from a trucking perspective.”

Producer profitability has improved in the last few months as prices sharply increased.

“Until recently, the cattle industry hasn’t been as profitable because of inflationary costs,” he said, noting that “we are in a way more favourable position than two years ago.”

Because of the Labour Day long weekend, only half of the province’s eight cattle auctions had sales during the week ending Sept. 7. Of those that were closed, Winnipeg was set to resume its auctions Sept. 8, with Killarney underway Sept. 11, Gladstone on Sept. 12 and Ashern on Sept. 13.

Among those that were open, Grunthal is slated to continue with its weekly sales on Sept. 12, while Heartland goes ahead with its Virden auction on Sept. 13. Brandon will be closed on Sept. 12. Ste Rose is set for its next sale on Sept. 14.

The post Beef sector faces weather, insurance challenges appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Tyler Slawinski, auctioneer at Gladstone and Ashern Auction Marts, said milder weather is a benefit to everyone involved.

“We get a nice day and everybody feels better,” he said, adding that emptying pens and moving cattle to grass creates peace of mind for cattle producers.

“Things start to look a little more promising. You get some warmer weather and the grass starts peeking through. You get a little more optimism every time.”

Slawinski said many areas have adequate moisture despite generally dry conditions.

“There’s a lot more value on the grass when it is on the drier side,” he said. “If we have a drier-type season this year, it’s not going to hurt the industry as long as we do get adequate rains to keep the grazing season going. But the grass is more valuable when it’s not so lush.”

At least 7,286 cattle went through the rings at Manitoba cattle auction sites during the week ended May 4, compared to at least 7,165 in the previous week, which did not have a regular sale at the Heartland Livestock Services site in Brandon.

Feeder steers weighing 600 pounds or less were sold for $285 to $403 per hundredweight, compared to $285 to $405/cwt from the week before. Feeder heifers weighing 600 lb. or less attracted prices ranging from $245 to $345/cwt., compared to $225 to $346 during the last full week of April.

D1 and D2 cows ranged in price from $120 to $167/cwt. for the week ended May 4, higher than the $110 to $155 range one week before. Mature bulls ranged from $105 to $175/cwt., the same as last week, while heiferettes ranged in price from $110 to $223/cwt., a $23 weekly gain on the higher end.

“I don’t think anyone has ever seen cull cows and bulls bring that kind of money on the market,” Slawinski said. “Hamburger season is right here. Your fats are current and your slaughter plants are current. Things are moving and as long as beef doesn’t get too high for the end user, hopefully it stays there… The cattle producer needs these prices in order to function or be sustainable.”

On the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the June live cattle contract ended May 4 at US$161.575/cwt., a decline of $3.15. Much of the decline came from a $1.975 drop on May 2. As for the August feeder cattle contract, there was a drop of $8.20 to close at $223.150/cwt., which included a $3.925 loss on May 2.

Slaughter cows and bulls are being moved west, said Slawinski, and others go to the True North Foods processing plant near Carman.

“Cattle numbers are probably at an all-time low in both the U.S. and Canada. That should hopefully hold some of the prices where (they are),” he added. “It’s going to be a wait-and-see type of game, but if there’s any change, I hope it’s for the best rather than for the worst. I hope these prices are able to be sustainable and not just a quick fix for the cattle producer.”

The post Weather warms up, cattle prices remain hot appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

For Killarney’s March 20 sale 1,468 head were auctioned.

“A big part of it was 1,200 of them were coming from the week before,” Munroe said, noting the March 13 sale was cancelled due to adverse conditions. “We’re still going to see 900 to 1,000 coming next week.”

Overall, 8,844 cattle were sold during the week of March 17-23 at eight of the reporting auctions. For the week prior, there were 8,430 head auctioned among the six facilities that reported.

At Killarney, one producer brought in 230 steers, another sent 100 and a third sold 78, Munroe said.

“Cattle producers tend to be creatures of habit. They tend to sell when they want to sell,” he quipped.

Munroe said most of the cattle coming in have been steers and the Killarney auction as well as others are waiting for a large influx of heifers.

“I think we are seeing a shift to when they are marketed,” he said, suggesting that calving this year has been somewhat later than usual.

Prices remain strong as the supply of cattle has dwindled.

“It’s taken a big hit over the last couple of years,” said Munroe, adding that demand has been strong as well lately.

Prices for feeder steers and heifers were steady to higher for the week of March 17-23. Across the province, feeder steers in the 500 to 600-pound category had a low $285 to a high of $360 per hundredweight. The week before those steers fetched a low of $272 to a high of $342/cwt.

Among the feeder heifers, the 500 to 600 pounders last week garnered $225 to $305/cwt. The previous week they went for $225 to $323/cwt.

It was much the same story for the slaughter market with D1 and D2 cow fetching $100 to $135/cwt. during the week of March 10-16. The following week they brought in $100 to $134/cwt. Mature bulls sold for $105 to $159/cwt.

The post Cattle influx, prices remain strong appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.