This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca.
New record-high fed prices set
Western Canadian fed prices continue to hold firm and move counter seasonally, setting new record highs during the week ending Aug. 1.
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Alberta fed steer prices rose by $2.68 per hundredweight to close the week at $301.84 per cwt. Fed heifers finished the week at $299.03 per cwt., up $2.56 per cwt. from the previous week .
Dressed sales were reported in the range of $490-$506 per cwt. delivered, $5 per cwt. higher than the previous week . Cattle that traded were scheduled for delivery anywhere from the second half of August to the first half of September.
All Western Canadian packers showed buying interest, but competition on the cash market continues to be mixed.
Interest from U.S. packers remains limited, even with basis levels at a discount of $30 per cwt. and higher against the Nebraska market.
Canadian fed cattle and cow exports to the United States for the week ending July 19 were 7,792 head. This is 29 per cent below 2024 levels and was the third consecutive week that exports ran below the previous year’s volumes.
Light trade was reported in Ontario, with dressed sales $3 per cwt. lower than the previous week at $527 per cwt. delivered. Cattle that traded were scheduled for delivery the week of Aug. 18.
Interest from U.S. packers was noted, and light volumes of eastern Canadian fed cattle went south of the border. Sales to the U.S. worked back in the low $320s per cwt. f.o.b. the feedlot, depending on freight and dressing percentage.
Butcher cow prices under pressure
Compared to the highs of the fed cattle market, the western Canadian non-fed market was on the disappointing side during the week ending Aug. 1.
Butcher cows in Alberta traded $3 per cwt. lower than the previous week, hitting their lowest prices since April.
D2 cows averaged $216.28 per cwt., while D3 cows brought $199.29 per cwt. Rail grade cow prices, however, were in the range of $415-$420 per cwt.
Alberta cow prices are now at a discount to the U.S.
Many cow-calf pairs sold through commercial auction facilities were not split up, finding new homes instead of entering the slaughter mix.
In Ontario, D2 cow prices ended the week at $219.36 per cwt., and D3 cows averaged $184.54 per cwt.
Ontario cow prices are now at a premium to the Alberta market, the first time this has happened in 2025.
Feeder market moves higher
The calf and feeder market has recently been supported by new highs set for live cattle contracts, as well as softer feed grain prices and the Canadian dollar weakening.
Heavier-weight feeders established new record-high prices again the week ending Aug. 1, continuing to move higher seasonally.
Basis contacts offered by western Canadian packers for the first quarter of 2026 were reported from minus $3 per cwt. to plus $3 per cwt. According to analysts, this suggests cattle are about $150 per head offside.
A mix of backgrounded and grass cattle were on offer that week, with grass cattle trading at a premium of around $15-$17 per cwt. over dry-lotted feeders.
Compared to 2024, eastern Canadian feedlots have been more active on the yearling market this year. Forward delivery calf prices strengthened over the course of July to set new highs.
Alberta and Saskatchewan steer calves weighing 600-699 pounds that have been weaned for 45-60 days brought $567 per cwt., based at 663 lb.
Newly weaned calves for December delivery brought $597 per cwt., based at 625 lb. These calves traded at a slight premium compared to calves already weaned, even when adjusting for differences in weight.
Cut-out prices fall
U.S. Choice and Select cut-out prices dropped by $6-$7 per cwt. during the week ending Aug. 1.
Even so, cutouts are $40-$47 per cwt. above 2024 prices, as well as $87-$88 per cwt. above the five-year average.
The Choice-to-Select spread was $19 per cwt. This is $6 per cwt. wider than at this time last year and within $1 per cwt. of the five-year average.
