2021 won’t be forgotten anytime soon in the cattle world.
The January 1, 2022, Cattle on Feed report from CanFax showed a 12 per cent increase in the number of cattle on feed from a year ago, with placements down a bit.
As Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange explains in our latest Beef Market Update, the numbers were the largest they’ve been in 20 years.
“The fall run as we call it started back in June. And it sure meant it cleaned up sooner. So between an early drought run, and also the other factor that kicked into gear in November and December was the fact that we started to see feeder cattle going to the U.S., so not necessarily everything going on feed in western Canada,” she says.
Marketings also played a part in these numbers, says Wasko, as 2021 ended on a high note.
“In December Canada ended up with one of the biggest slaughter numbers we’ve seen for fed cattle slaughter in recent history. So it was a busy year, but on feed numbers, I guess the bottom line story from that story is that numbers are large to start 2022,” says
From the feed grain perspective, these numbers also have some significant implications, including a potential shortage of grain.
“These numbers are absolutely explosive in terms of the corn imports and the struggles that are going on right now, and the potential market impacts,” she says.
Check out the full conversation between Anne Wasko and RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney in our latest Beef Market Update:
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