Klassen: Feeder market softens on weaker demand

For the week ending October 25, Western Canadian yearling markets traded regular to $10/cwt beneath costs from the earlier week. Calves within the vary of 550 kilos to 850 kilos had been down $8 to $12 on common whereas feeders underneath 550 kilos had been comparatively unchanged in comparison with seven days earlier.

U.S. authorities feedback relating to the excessive value of beef set a negative tone. President Trump said that ranchers need to get the worth of beef down, which drew a tsunami of feedback from U.S. cattle teams. Media feedback that Agriculture Secretary Rollins deliberate to satisfy together with her Mexican counterpart to open the border to Mexican feeder cattle additionally contributed to the weaker tone.

The TEAM public sale market report had a gaggle of 175 bigger body, decrease flesh Charolais primarily based steers averaging 1,050 kilos with full processing information however no implants coming straight off pasture valued at $440/cwt fob ranch close to Elkhorn, Manitoba. On the identical video sale, a gaggle of 118 Simmental cross heifers averaging 1,050 kilos with full processing information and implants on grass weight-reduction plan offered for $424 fob ranch close to Drayton Valley, Alberta for supply November 3-8.

China buys U.S. soybean cargoes ahead of Trump-Xi meet, sources say

China’s state-owned COFCO bought three U.S. soybean cargoes, two trade sources said, the country’s first purchases from this year’s U.S. harvest, shortly before a summit of leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

Early final week, a cattle producer south of Edmonton offered a pen-sized group of managed weight achieve backgrounded blended steers with processing information and implants averaging 950 kilos for $500/cwt for supply first half of January 10-15, 2026 fob ranch. On the Lloydminster ring sale, there was a smaller bundle of unique yearling steers weighing 814 kilos that offered for $521/cwt.

On the Ste. Rose ring sale, purple and black Simmental primarily based steer calves weighing 718 kilos offered for $570/cwt and a smaller bundle of Charolais heifers with a imply weight of 716 kilos traded for $517/cwt.

On the Beaverlodge sale, a smaller group of black blended steer calves averaging 583 kilos traded for $627/cwt. On the Ponoka sale, a smaller group Angus steers weighing 632 kilos coming off cows, hay and grass weight-reduction plan with full processing information traded for $620/cwt. On the identical sale, Simmental primarily based heifers coming straight off their moms and pasture weighing 608 kilos with full processing information offered for $550/cwt.

On the Killarney sale, a smaller bundle of black steer calves weighing 546 kilos offered for $709/cwt and their lighter brothers scaled at 486 kilos had been valued at $780/cwt.

The USDA didn’t launch their Cattle On Feed Report because of the authorities shutdown. Our estimates have U.S. cattle on feed 180 days or extra as of October 1 at 1.397 million head, up 556,000 head from October 1, 2025. Along with the U.S. authorities remarks, the cattle market has some bearish fundamentals within the short-term.