Cattle prices edge up
SASKATOON (Staff) – Slaughter cattle prices continued to consolidate gains made earlier in July. Average prices were up by about $1 per head in the Alberta market, Canfax said.
Strong buying interest from both American and eastern Canadian buyers, who were in the market early in the week, helped push prices up. Volume on offer was about 15 percent less than during the middle of the month, but was still healthy.
Quality of the offering was variable, however, mostly because feedlots are cleaning up some of their pens. That keeps the market current, but translates to a wide range in prices. Heavyweight, rough cattle were discounted, while handyweight, high-yielding cattle were bid at the top of the range.
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Trade on July 21 saw most steers bid between $84-$86.50, with sales to $87. Heifers traded in much the same range.
Packers were actively seeking slaughter cows last week as well. Prices were steady to higher on tight supplies. D1 and D2 cows were bid between $56 and $68 per cwt, with top sales between $69-$73. Cows were trading $115-$120 per cwt on the rail.
Demand is strong on limited supplies of feeder cattle, with prices getting a boost from the stronger live cattle market.
Hog markets on even keel
Pork producers on the Prairies sent about the same number of hogs to market last week as they did the previous week, for about the same price. The Index 100 pool price was off by 18 cents per ckg in Manitoba, 20 cents in Alberta and 90 cents in Saskatchewan.
