Feeder steer prices in Saskatchewan were up compared to the heifers which were mixed, according to the Canfax Cattle Market Update for the week ending April 19.
Provincial Cattle Specialist Fonda Froats says the week-over-week changes are what they are due to limited sales of cattle last week. The 600-700 lb steer weight category was up $9.37 to average $398.00 per cwt and the price for 700-800 lb steers also increased by $2.50 to average $357 per cwt.
For heifers, the 700-800 lb category saw a week-over-week jump by $3.76 to an average price of $323.46 per cwt and the 800+ lb category had a decrease of $17.81 to $285.59 per cwt.
Prices for the remainder of the steer and heifer categories were not available due to a lack of sufficient data.
Froats says the continued strong prices were helped by lower supply, the Canadian dollar, and an upward trend in the futures market.
The number of cattle marketed in the province was down to 8,830, compared to the 13,188 head marketed the previous week.Alberta cow prices, meanwhile, were mixed. D2 cows averaged $179.81 per cwt, a price increase of $5.27 per cwt above the previous week and D3 cows decreased $0.50 per cwt over the week to average $162.29 per cwt.
T
he Canfax price for Alberta fed steers for the week ending April 19 was $256.49 per cwt, a price increase of $6.02 per cwt from the previous week and a record high for the second week in a row.
