Beef Demand Remains Strong

Beef demand remains strong in the spring market.

 

We got a cattle market update from Brian Perillat, Manager/Senior Analyst at Canfax.

 

"We're into the spring market, we've seen really good beef demand and a lot of product moving but maybe a little bit sluggish on the cattle markets especially on the fed cattle side. Prices not much different than they were in February, around that $150 per hundredweight. A little bit disappointing. Feedlots continue to lose money at that, despite beef prices very, very strong. Still anticipating hopefully some market strength moving forward. Numbers should tighten, we think, into May/June, and that should support the fed cattle market."

 

Perillat notes demand has been good for calf prices.

Video: Episode 115: Home on the Range

We look at how high crop prices, driven in part by rising global food demand, biofuel incentives, and risk perspective and management, are encouraging the conversion of marginal grasslands into cultivated cropland. As more hay and pastureland is turned over to crop production, wildlife habitat becomes increasingly fragmented, leaving isolated “islands” of grass that may be too small to sustain functioning grassland ecosystems. We explore research using Alberta as a case study to understand the impact that conversion of hay and pasturelands into cropland could have on ecosystem intactness and biodiversity.