Canada’s total beef cattle inventory on July 1 was lower than last year as the number of cows dipped and heifer replacements declined, according to data from Statistics Canada that was compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver.
JULY 1 TOTALS DROP
A graph of the July 1 data showed a drop in total inventories over the last 12 years as the cow population declined. This year’s total of 12.290 million head was down 350,000, or 2.81%, from last year’s 12.645-million total and down 1.405 million, or 10.3%, from the 2010 total of 13.695 million.
The number of beef cows in Canada’s herd totaled 3.714 million head, down 62,000, or 1.64%, from last year’s 3.776 million and down 382,000, or 9.33%, from the 2010 total of 4.096 million.
Beef heifer replacements July 1 totaled 622,100 head, down 49,500, or 7.37%, from last year’s 671,600 but up 22,000, or 3.67%, from the 2010 total of 600,100.
Like the US cattle herd, the mid-year totals can be less revealing than the Jan. 1 totals. Both data sets show what the industry is about at the time, but producer intentions change more easily in the summer than in the winter.
JAN 1 TOTALS DECLINE
Canada’s total cattle inventory on Jan. 1 was nearly steady with last year, while beef heifer replacement numbers climbed, and the beef cow total declined.
Canada’s Jan. 1 cattle inventory has declined over the last 12 years but overall has avoided some of the gyrations of the US industry, the data showed. The Jan. 1 cattle inventory on came to 11.505 million head, down 10,000, or 0.09%, from 11.515 million a year earlier and down 1.165 million, or 9.19%, from the Jan. 1, 2010, aggregate of 12.670 million.
However, the totals do not reflect the changes in the monthly number of cattle on feed shown by CanFax, a private market advisory group. CanFax reported 891,159 head on feed Aug. 1, down from 985,992 a month earlier, and down from 920,982 a year earlier but up from the 2016-2020 average of 741,879.
The USDA reported the US’ Jan. 1 total of 91.902 million head, down 1.888 million, or 2.01%, from 93.790 million a year earlier. The US total herd also was lower than the 2010 total of 94.081 million head, but it has been even lower; the 2014 total was listed at 88.243 million head.
The USDA also reported a Jan. 1 US beef heifer total of 5.612 million head, down 191,000, or 3.29%, from 5.803 million a year ago with a beef cow total of 30.125 million, down 719,000, or 2.33%, from 30.844 million a year ago.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers this week ranged from $144.35 to $146.29 per cwt, compared with last week’s range of $142.00 to $148.37. FOB dressed steers, and heifers went for $224.86 to $225.29 per cwt, versus $220.22 to $229.10.
The USDA choice cutout Monday was up $0.28 per cwt at $263.04 while select was up $3.99 at $242.75. The choice/select spread narrowed to $20.29 from $24.00 with 71 loads of fabricated product and 20 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains were up $0.10 at $2.50 to $2.60 a bushel over the Sep futures and for southwest Kansas were unchanged at $1.00 over Sep, which settled at $6.83 3/4, up $0.15.
No contracts were tendered for delivery against the Aug live cattle contract Monday.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Friday was $183.16 per cwt up $0.91. This compares with Monday’s Sep contract settlement of $179.92, down $2.27.