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SASKATOON (Staff) – The respite in the cattle markets turned out to be brief.
Slaughter cattle prices, under pressure from a holiday-shortened week and a higher Canadian dollar, were down by $1.50-$2 per hundredweight by April 12.
Canfax reported volumes on offer were moderately heavy at 12,000 head, with U.S. buyers active in the local markets.
Trade on April 12 had steers priced from $82-$84.90 while heifers were $82.35 to $83.85.
Canfax said even though cattle quality and weights have improved mostly because feedlots are keeping up with their sales, wholesalers are reluctant to pay more money.
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Cow sales steady
Cow trade during the Easter week was steady, but weak, echoing the pressures in the fed market. D1 and D2 cows traded between $52 and $58 per cwt with railgrade cows priced between $100 and $110.75.
The doldrums in the fed market didn’t seem to affect the feeder market.
Canfax reported prices were up from 50 cents to $3 per cwt, depending on the class.
Markets for replacement females recorded prices between $660-$945 for heifers sold via satellite last week. Lightly-tested bred heifers were between $600-$1,125 and $800-$1,250 for good bred cows (discount $200-$400 for plain types).
Hogs hold their own
Marketing boards were scrambling to find enough buyers for ample supplies in a short week. However, weekly pooled prices fell marginally or held steady. Saskatchewan’s Index 100 price was off by 50 cents per hundred kilograms; Manitoba’s by 86 cents and Alberta’s was steady.
