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.
Fed market hits high
The western Canadian fed market continues to soar beyond expectations, setting new record-high prices during the week ending Aug. 22.
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Annual highs are extremely uncommon in August, having happened only once in the last 50 years.
Alberta fed steers were up $1.99 per hundredweight to close the week at $304.22 per cwt. Fed heifers ended the week at $301.79 per cwt., $1.89 higher than the previous week.
Western Canadian fed prices were 22 per cent higher than at this time in 2024 and 38 per cent above the three-year average.
In Alberta and Saskatchewan, light trade was reported with dressed sales in the range of $505-$510 per cwt. delivered. Cattle that traded were scheduled for delivery throughout September, with the majority booked for the first half of the month.
Lift times have begun to tighten, which is supporting interest in the cash market.
Some fed cattle have been committed to packers for a formula price over the past few weeks. They will be priced off the Canfax average price for the week of their delivery.
At time of writing. Aug. 22, Alberta fed prices had been trading at a discount of $35+ per cwt. against the Nebraska market for the past month.
Light trade was reported in Ontario, and dressed sales were steady with the week prior at $527 per cwt. delivered.
Decreased slaughter volumes have been reported in Eastern Canada.
Non-fed market strengthens
The non-fed markets in Alberta and Ontario saw a significantly stronger tone during the week ending Aug. 22 as cull cows moved counter-seasonally higher in both the East and West.
Alberta D2 and D3 cow prices were $4-$10 per cwt. higher than the previous week , averaging $222.50 per cwt. and $209.21, respectively.
Butcher bull prices were up by $8.50 per cwt. Feeder and railgrade cows were fully steady with the previous week.
For the first half of August, western Canadian cow slaughter averaged around 3,900 head per week. This was the smallest slaughter volume for the first half of August since 2014.
Year-to-date cow slaughter in Western Canada is down 11 per cent from 2024 and 16 per cent below the five-year average.
In Ontario, D2 and D3 cow prices rose by $6-$8 per cwt. D2 cows brought $226.20 per cwt., setting a new all-time high. D3 cows matched their high set earlier in the summer at $184.50 per cwt.
Year-to-date cow slaughter in Eastern Canada has increased nine per cent from 2024 but is down seven per cent from the five-year average.
Feeders rally across the board
The week ending Aug. 22 saw impressive rallies for the feeder market across weight classes.
Steers and heifers weighing between 500 and 900 pounds strengthened $8.01-$18.53 per cwt. from the previous week .
Both Alberta and Ontario 550-lb. steers surpassed $600 per cwt. for the first time this year.
Alberta 550-lb. steers rallied by $62.91 per cwt. over the previous month, while their Ontario counterparts strengthened $41.89 per cwt. over the span of five weeks.
Auction volumes in Alberta were 16,671 head, 53 per cent below the five-year average.
Year-to-date auction volumes were 751,435 head, three per cent higher than last year.
Canadian feeder cattle exports to the United States for the week ending Aug. 9 were 2,164 head. This was 83 per cent above last year’s levels, and it was the first time since March that exports have run above last year’s levels for four consecutive weeks.
Year-to-date exports were 98,393 head, two per cent higher than in 2024 as well as the highest volume since the first week of June.
Choice cutouts set new high
U.S. Choice cutout prices soared to set a new annual high during the week ending Aug. 22. This was $14 per cwt. higher than the previous week and $93 per cwt. above the price this time in 2024.
Select prices rose by $17 per cwt., up $83 per cwt. from last year. This was within $0.50 per cwt. of its annual high set in June.
The Choice-to-Select spread was $10 per cwt. wider than at this time last year.
