Cattle prices lowers for the week ending April 30

Canfax report for the week of April 30

Please find attached the latest Cattle Market Update for the week ending April 30. Highlights from the week include:

· Feeder steer prices were mainly lower across the weight categories when compared to prices reported the previous week. The only price increase was seen in the 400-500lb weight category, increasing $2.71 per cwt to end the week averaging $250.50 per cwt. The largest price decrease week over week was in the 800-900lb weight category, with prices decreasing $4.75 per cwt to end the week averaging $179.25 per cwt. The 700-800lb weight category ended the week with an average price of $197.80 per cwt. The weekly average steer price across the reported weight categories was $214.54 per cwt in Saskatchewan.

· Saskatchewan feeder heifer prices were mixed but mainly lower across all the reported weight categories when compared to prices the previous week. The largest price increase was seen in the 400-500lb weight category, with prices increasing by $1.66 per cwt to end the week averaging $208.33 per cwt. The largest price decrease was seen in the 600-700lb weight category, with prices declining by $1.67 per cwt to end the week averaging $185.00 per cwt. The 700-800lb weight category ended the week with an average price of $173.70 per cwt. The weekly average heifer price across the reported weight categories was $190.78 per cwt in Saskatchewan.

· Live cattle future contracts traded sideways throughout the week, ending with the nearby June futures contracts slightly higher. The June live cattle futures contract saw a price increase of US$0.850 per cwt relative to the previous week to settle at US$116.575 per cwt on Friday. The August contract saw a price increase of $1.775 per cwt compared to the previous week to settle Friday at US$118.625 per cwt.

· Choice beef cutout prices (600-900 lb.) for the week averaged US$291.79 per cwt, up US$11.60 per cwt from US$280.19 per cwt the previous week, an increase of 4.1 per cent. The Choice beef cutout is 16.4 per cent lower than the same week a year ago when it was valued at $349.01 per cwt.

Canfax report for the week of April 30