The Vice-President of the Canadian Bison Association believes there is plenty of reason for bison producers to be optimistic as 2025 is closer to wrapping up.
He said the optimism comes after enduring some drought years and a post-COVID market slump.
But now, he said prices for bison in general have gone up over the last year.
"We're probably pushing $7 (per pound) right now, so we've seen that increase right along with beef, and it's just an overall red meat industry. It's a good problem to have if you're a seller of finished animals, but it's hard. It's definitely a pinch point for some consumers when prices are this high all across the board.” Johnson said.
The Bison community had a good showing at last week's Canadian Western Agribition. A sale had more bison entered in compared to last year, and there was more interest in the animal from attendees. Johnson says they're talking with organizers on how to get them more involved in future shows.
In addition to increased demand for bison meat, much like their beef cattle counterparts, there is also a demand for genetics, said Johnson.
During a Canadian Bison Association conference last weekend, he noted that the people who survived the last downturn in the bison cycle, "had the best take on their cost of production."
"They're really efficient producers and the producer panel stated the exact same thing that they needed to have efficient animals that are really productive, that calve every year, and produce, do well on feed. They've got a good conversion rate. And that's what we see here today, people looking to buy.”
On the trade front, Johnson says Bison are compliant under the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement, so they haven't had to deal with tariffs.
