As a livestock producer, how many times have you heard, “We need to produce what the consumer wants.” That is a simple impactful statement but is not as easy as it sounds. What does the consumer really want in its beef products? Do we know? Does the consumer know? Market research is key to finding… Read More
Category: Cattle
The Consumer Goods Forum has released a new report on the five trends that are impacting the global retail chain. The five trends were: Economy and Consumer Demand – the challenges of the global economy have significant potential impacts on the demand for goods like red meat. Corporate Responsibility – this includes environment and sustainability… Read More
Margins in the feedyard business are tighter than they have ever been in an extremely volatile market. Fuel is expensive, feed is expensive and the Canadian dollar is high. The beef industry is struggling to stay competitive. “Break even” is a term that holds more weight now than it has the industry’s history. With volatility… Read More
When you talk about factors affecting the cattle markets as we head into the feeder run, a number of things emerge. High commodity prices are creating a new normal when it comes to a baseline feeder price. Producers have to get over the initial sticker shock and adjust to the fact that higher feeder prices… Read More
Rising feed prices, expensive oil and a high dollar have made it a difficult time to feed cattle. You can add to that the continued instability in financial markets around the world and it’s hard to imagine that our ability to compete hasn’t been heavily damaged. There is no doubt that the Canadian industry needs… Read More
The road to economic recovery in Canada is delicate. Growth has been moderate at best, with events around the world adding to that fragility daily. European countries are dealing with high deficits and attempting to balance budgets under the pressure of a frustrated and angry population. In the U.S., the debt ceiling debate, the inability… Read More
Is the Canadian livestock industry still competitive? We hear this discussion at every conference and coffee shop we participate in. Chances are that we are too hard on ourselves as the industry has survived (relative term) with the drastically higher dollar and increased global competitiveness from South America and the United States. The more negative… Read More
In the last two weeks the feeder price and fat cattle price has moved in a very violent down and up swing. Is it based on fundamentals? I am not an analyst but someone that tries to follow the cattle industry closely and I have no way to tell you whether this market is going… Read More
By Rosie Templeton As a rancher, farmer, agvocate, Cattlemen’s Young Leader, and all-around agriculture enthusiast, I’m always looking for opportunities to share my passion. About a month ago, one of those great opportunities found me. A National Cattlemen’s Beef Association representative had been present at our Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Forum in April to speak about… Read More
With the devastating effects of the E-coli outbreak in Germany being played out in the media, the results of a U.S. study on the increased shedding of another strain of the bacteria by cattle fed corn DDGs is getting more attention than it normally would . The U.S. study linked increased levels of E-coli 0157… Read More
A new single national agency for beef marketing, promotion and research is in the works for Canadian cattle producers. The new single agency comes as a result of a Canadian Beef Export Federation member vote to consolidate their operation with that of the Beef Information Centre (BIC) and the national beef checkoff agency. The merger… Read More
Wet weather and flood conditions have packed a punch this year in Manitoba. While the effect on cropland has been tremendous, the effect on cattle producers has been widespread as well. This is the time of year when producers move cattle to pasture, but this year, a great deal of pastureland is underwater or soaked… Read More
Its sometimes staggering how quickly the mood of a market can change. With US cattle on feed placements being higher by 10% compared to a year ago the resulting plethora of beef to move to the market means lower prices in the short term. Canadian cattle feeders are getting the benefit of a very narrow… Read More
Wet weather hasn’t just played havoc for farmers trying to get into their fields, feedlot operators across the west are dealing with disastrous conditions in their pens. Those muddy wet, conditions impact cattle movement and gains in the yard. Producers are bedding cattle, moving cattle, or cleaning what they can in the pen to… Read More
With the record high fat cattle prices behind us, we have entered the spring lulls which usually bring the same sentiment. This year many producers are staring at expensive inventory, potential sky rocketing feed costs and some nice profits made in the first four months of the year. With the seasonal summer lows expected to… Read More