Numbers push prices down
SASKATOON (Staff) – Slaughter cattle prices declined by an average of $1.50 a hundredweight last week, pressured by massive volumes on offer.
Canfax reported 7,500 head moved out of Alberta feedlots on May 2 alone, and weekly sales as of May 4 stood at 23,000 head. A few cattle on offer were passed at the lower money later in the week, but Canfax said most feedlots were sellers.
Trade on May 4 saw steers priced from $79.75-$83.05 per cwt., with heifers at $79-$81.25.
Canfax said feedlots are current in their sales, judging from weights, yields and grades.
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Steer carcasses averaged 740 pounds last week, compared to the year-to-date average of 758.3 lbs. and a marbling distribution in the A-grade cattle of 31 percent single A, 50 percent double A and 19 percent triple A.
Cow prices continued the slide started in late April, losing $5 per cwt. on the week’s averages. Canfax said prices have reacted to a sudden, precipitous drop in boneless beef prices.
Trade on the rail was $10 per cwt. lower on the week. D1 and D2 cows averaged $44-$54, with top money paid at $55-$57.25. Railgrade bids were between $95-$100 per cwt.
Hog prices mixed
SPI Marketing Group reports variable hog prices last week. The six-week slide in prices finally halted in Saskatchewan, with the Index 100 average price up 90 cents per hundred kilograms at $122. Manitoba’s price was also up by $1.24 per ckg to $122.38. Alberta’s average lost 70 cents per ckg at $122.40.
