You may have noticed a higher grocery bill lately when it comes to buying beef.
That's because this spring, the price of Alberta beef rose to its highest on record, reaching $192.90 per 100 pounds in May.
"Across Canada and North America the prices are high right now," says Manitoba Beef Producers president, Heinz Reimer. "One of the biggest issues is cattle inventory. The number of cattle that are around in North America is about similar to the 1950s, so it's the lowest inventory we've had in, I guess, 60 years now."
Part of the problem stems from drought out west. Pastures in Saskatchewan and Alberta aren't producing enough feed for the livestock, so some producers are struggling to find ways to feed their cattle.
Some areas in western Manitoba are also looking fairly dry. Manitoba Agriculture's total accumulated precipitation map from May 1 to July 5 shows that areas around Brandon have only received between 90 and 120mm of rain.
Source : PortageOnline