Canfax Report

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 price highs

Prices keep rising on the western Canadian fed market, with new highs set yet again for the week ending May 2.

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Alberta fed steers rose by $3.67 per hundredweight to close the week at $292.50, while fed heifers strengthened by $3.95 per cwt. to end the week at $290.25 per cwt.

Dressed sales were reported from $487-490 per cwt. delivered, with buying interest from all three western Canadian packers. Cattle were scheduled for delivery anywhere from immediately into early June.

Canfax reported a significant decrease in fed cattle shipments to the United States over the last few weeks. Nonetheless, western Canadian packers have yet to increase slaughter rates, indicating that fed supplies are tight.

Western Canadian fed slaughter for the week ending April 26 totalled 35,000 head, nine per cent lower than in 2024.

In Ontario, dressed sales were fully steady with the previous week at $480 per cwt. delivered.

With interest from U.S. packers, light volumes of eastern Canadian fed cattle were marketed across the line. These sales worked back to the high $280s per cwt. f.o.b. feedlot.

Butcher cow prices move sideways

Alberta cull cows sold through commercial auction markets traded within $1 per cwt. of steady money during the week ending May 2.

D2 cows averaged $224 per cwt. and D3 cows brought $202 per cwt. Feeder cows averaged $233 per cwt., about $6 per cwt. higher than the previous week .

Butcher bulls eased by almost $3.50 per cwt. to close the week at $241 per cwt.

Rail grade cow prices ranged from $410-425 per cwt., which is steady to $5 per cwt. stronger than the previous week.

The non-fed slaughter volume for the week in Western Canada was 5,300 head, the lowest weekly volume reported since mid-October of last year.

In Ontario, the market tone was considerably stronger. D2 cow prices rose by almost $14 per cwt., closing the week just above $200 per cwt.

D3 cows climbed by almost $9 per cwt. to end the week just below $165.50 per cwt.

The non-fed slaughter volume for the week in Eastern Canada was around 1,700 head. This was the third lowest weekly volume seen so far this year.

Alta., Ont. feeder markets strengthen

Alberta auction volumes for the week ending May 2 were 25,658 head, the largest volume in the last month.

Alberta 550-pound steers and heifers rallied $11.88 per cwt. and $25.86 per cwt., respectively, from March to April. This is the biggest month-to-month rally in the past decade, which narrowed the steer-heifer price spread to $58.36 per cwt.

Alberta 850-lb. steers rallied $9.56 per cwt. from March to April, the second-largest rally in the last decade. Similarly, 850-lb. heifers rallied $25.15 per cwt., which is the largest rally for the same period.

These rallies narrow the 850-lb. steer-heifer price spread to $33.12 per cwt., illustrating how strong heifer interest was in April.

In Ontario, the feeder market has rallied impressively over the past six weeks.

Steers weighing 500-600 lb. have gained $112 per cwt. from the end of March to close this week at $560 per cwt. There have also been strong price moves for steers weighing less than 900 lb. and heifers less than 800 lb.

This rally has Ontario steers between 600-900 lb. at a notable premium compared to the Alberta market.

Steers between 800-900 lb. are at a premium of $25.45 per cwt., while steers weighing more than 900 lb. are at a premium of $8.01 per cwt.

Heifers weighing 600-700 lb. are at a premium over the Alberta market by $4.74 per cwt.

Canadian feeder cattle exports to the United States for the week ending April 19 were 664 head. This is 89 per cent lower than last year and likely due to the stronger Canadian dollar, stronger feeder basis and the short week for Easter.