Cattle prices remain strong as we’re getting closer to the end of 2024.

Livestock Intern at the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Emily Schmidt says lower volumes of cattle going to market and the lower cost of feed are contributors to rising prices. She also says calves are still in high demand which reflects in prices for the lighter weight categories. Schmidt says they’ll continue to watch how the suspension of Mexican cattle imports to the U.S., due to a case of New World Screwworm (NWS), affect the markets. 

The Cattle Market Update from Canfax for the week ending December 6th shows price increases for most feeder steer and feeder heifers, except for the 900-plus pound steers which didn’t have any information available. The week-over-week increases ranged from $1.42 for the 400-500 pound steers to $12.10 for the 500-600 pound steers. Increases for the heifers ranged from $2.88 for the 600-700 pound category to $19.63 for the 500-600 pound heifers.

There were 26,006 head of cattle marketed in Saskatchewan last week, above the 18,027 head the previous week. It’s also ahead of the 16,660 head marketed at the same time last year. So far, 562,488 head have been marketed at auction in the province this year, 11 per cent below last year’s total.

Schmidt says prices for live, non-fed cattle in Alberta were higher compared to the week ending November 29th. The price of D2 slaughter cows were up $2.94 to $171.69 per cwt, and D3 slaughter cows were up $6.79 to $162.32 per cwt. The Canfax price for Alberta fed steers last week were down 45 cents to $248.06 per hundred weight. But it’s $23.10 higher than last year’s price at this time when it was $224.96 per cwt.