Demand for bison in both Canada and the United States is very high, with Canadian buyers paying up to $5.25 per pound for Grade "A" bison bulls.
"The prices are being driven up and I think a lot of it might have to do a little bit with the beef prices sky-rocketing as well," says president of the Manitoba Bison Association, Len Epp. "Our market follows that, or even leads it sometimes."
Epp says bison producers in Canada haven't been feeling as much stress from drought as beef producers have. Bison don't need as much feed as cattle and will do well on poorer-quality feed. However, the price per hay bale right now is high, and producers still need to feed their livestock.
Some market analysts are saying that because of drought out west, beef prices will go up again in about a year's time when there is less beef on the market. Epp says he thinks that bison prices will likely go up as well.
Source : PortageOnline