It’s the last Friday of July, and the summer is just continuing to roar along. If you’re in Western Canada, you know it’s hot hot hot. Currently in the beef markets, there is a lot of discussion surrounding where we are at for demand for proteins. We’ve got some economic headwinds, and we’ve got issues… Read More
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its cattle on feed report for July 1st, and it fell closely in line with expectations, limiting any attempt at the market to be shocked. August Live cattle finished the day up at $0.475, and the week down $1.95, to close at $101.325. #Cattle on Feed Report:… Read More
This week’s Beef Market Update might be the most positive report we’ve posted in three very long months. In this week’s episode, Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange joins Shaun Haney to catch up on the early summer numbers ahead of a holiday weekend. To start off in the green, Canadian slaughter data for… Read More
Looking back even just six weeks ago, few would have thought it would be possible to be back at the cattle processing levels that we currently are in Canada and the U.S. Anne Wasko, of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, says that many changes have occurred over the past few weeks during the face of COVID-19…. Read More
As RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney puts it: the interesting, fascinating beef market continues. Currently, there’s huge separation between the June live cattle futures and the cash price, with many taking bets on how that gap closes. Bulls believe there is pent-up demand while bears see a weak economy and restricted demand for the most expensive cuts,… Read More
Live cattle futures have been slowly chipping way at the drastic declines experienced earlier this year due to COVID-19. In the last 30 days, the June cattle future has climbed $15.45 to just under $100. At its lowest point, in early April, the June future was $76.60. With U.S. cash trading between $115 and $120… Read More
There is no shortage of issues to discuss in the ag commodity complex, and our latest edition of RealAg LIVE! is here to cover the latest in market news, and answer everything you’re wondering regarding the futures. On this Thursday edition of RealAg LIVE!, host Shaun Haney is joined by Zaner Ag Hedge’s Chief Ag… Read More
Fresh off of one of the biggest barbecue weekends of the year in Canada and headed into another in the United States, the cattle market is paying close attention to retail sales and the effect on prices throughout the supply chain. At the same time, processing capacity has started to return following slowdowns and shutdowns… Read More
Exports are so important to the Canadian beef industry, and early 2020 was shaping up to be a record year for global demand. Then, COVID-19 happened. Statistics Canada recently released the January to March numbers for Canadian beef exports, and as Brenna Grant, manager of research services for CanFax, explains, there is evidence of COVID-19… Read More
It has been a real struggle for meat packers to hold or build slaughter capacity during the COVID-19 outbreak. Not too long ago analysts thought slaughter levels would not increase to 80% of capacity until mid summer but in both Canada and the U.S., the weekly slaughter is climbing back faster than first thought. The… Read More
Since the fall of 2019, beef packer profits have received major attention by ranchers and feedyards. Much of the discussion started after the packing plant fire in Kansas, but has exploded recently due to the results of the COVID-19 pandemic. Packers have struggled to stay online due to COVID-19 cases related to the plant, and… Read More
This is an unforgettable time in the cattle markets for ranchers and feedyards. The United States Department of Agriculture released its Cattle on Feed report for April 1, and the results are close to expectations and would be considered bullish in a “normal” market. In the United States, total cattle on feed is down 5… Read More
The value of beef cutouts has reached record highs over the last few days, as packing plant capacity has been reduced by shutdowns in the U.S. and Canada. At the same time, those shutdowns have put immense pressure on cash cattle prices. “In the U.S. for the cash cattle that are trading, they are going… Read More
U.S. President Donald Trump has unveiled his three-step plan to re-open the economy, entitled “Opening up America Again.” Along with the announcement, the president has started encouraging political allies to “liberate” certain states that have shelter-in-place (social distancing) measures currently in effect. There’s no question, the economic impact of social distancing is very evident in… Read More
Ontario’s beef producer group has asked both beef and dairy producers to hold back cull cows in an attempt to ease the pinch on beef processing capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Processing backlogs have plagued the eastern Canadian beef sector for many months due to a lack of sufficient processing capacity and plant closures, says… Read More