ONT Farm Market News PM Livestock Summary for December 16 Here is the Country Auction Report as collected by the Beef Farmers of Ontario Friday. * REPLACEMENT CATTLE: There were 1,500 head on offer at Brussels. Calves sold extremely active at fully steady prices. Yearlings had not sold at the reporting time. Large & Medium Steers over 900 lbs:$234.12 - $263.30 Large & Medium Steers 700-800 lbs:$246.00 - $289.00 Large & Medium Steers 500-600 lbs:$247.00 - $299.50 Large & Medium Heifers over 800 lbs:$191.95 - $238.98 Large & Medium Heifers 600-700 lbs:$204.00 - $246.50 Large & Medium Heifers 500-600 lbs:$202.50 - $250.00 From the Beef Farmers of Ontario, the Rail Grade Report. Prices are on carcass weight basis, before grade and weight discounts. Steers: $320.00 - $320.00 Heifers: $319.00 - $319.00 *From Ontario Pork: *Quebec's average price on Thursday was $184.48 per ckg D.W. 100 index. *The previous markets day's CME Constructed (201) price was $82.16 U.S. per cwt. D.W. *Compared to the previous day this was up $0.56 *Average weekly price /ckg DW total value $227.89 *Total volume of Ont. hogs sold was 119590 * From the Beef Farmers of Ontario, the weekly beef commentary: Comments for the week ending December 15, 2022: 384 fed steers and heifers sold through auction markets this week, up 93 from last week and 186 more than this time last year. Fed steers sold from $181.51-$195.87, averaging $188.73 up $0.62 from the previous week and $31.44 stronger than year ago prices. Fed heifers sold from $174.15- $192.18, averaging $185.52 up $6.98 cwt from last week and $29.40 stronger than year ago prices. Auction markets reported trade as steady to fully steady to start. By mid-week trade was steady with quality considered and ended the week $1.00 cwt higher. The Ontario railgrade market is fully steady again this week with steers trading at $320.00 dressed and heifers $319.00 with delivery mainly the week of December 26th, with a couple of lots the week of December 19th and a few later in the week for January 3, 2023. This weeks average price is up $42.25 from the same week last year. Much larger volumes of fed/cull cows came to market this week at 2,970 head, up 407 from last week but 212 fewer than the same week last year. Cows sold from $69.42-$100.13 averaging $83.69 down $2.70 cwt from the week before but still $28.01 stronger than year ago prices. Auction markets reported trade as steady to softer to start. As the week progressed the market was steady to fully steady. 671 beef cows were in this weeks mix, up 136 head from last week, averaging $89.26 down $1.44 from last weeks weighted average beef cow price. Lighter receipts of 4,454 stocker and feeder cattle sold through auction markets this week down 629 head from last week but 107 more than the same time last year. Auction markets reported calves as active with prices fully steady to higher with quality considered. By weeks end, vaccinated calves were steady while non-vaccinated just steady. Yearlings/heavier cattle sold on a strong active trade at prices steady to fully steady with quality a consideration. Actual average prices this week saw steers 400-500 lbs up $1.03, 500-600 lbs down $17.10, 600-700 lbs down $2.99, 700-800 lbs down $5.25, 800-900 down $3.49, 900-1000 lbs up $3.65 and steers 1000 lbs plus averaged $0.55 higher than last week. Heifers from 300-400 lbs were down $4.18 on average, 400-500 lbs up $9.90, 500-600 lbs up $1.85, 600- 700 lbs down $8.81, 700-800 lbs down $11.86, 800-900 lbs down $1.09 while heifers 900 lbs and over averaged $1.58 stronger than last weeks weighted average prices. The Quebec electronic market this week was reported at $316.00 cwt delivered on a picked-up basis, up $4.00 cwt from last weeks trade on average. Alberta direct trade was fully steady to the previous week with Canfax reporting sales from $304.00-$305.00 delivered on a dressed basis. Canfax reports: Cattle that traded were being scheduled for the second half of January delivery. Light volumes of AB cattle traded to the US, sales to the US were working back to the upper $180s/cwt FOB lot. Sales to the US are at roughly a $5.00/cwt live premium over local deals. The U.S. cash cattle trade the week ending December 9th was light to moderate in volume with prices increasing as the week progressed. In the south, sales ranged from $153.00-$155.00 live, while in the north live cattle traded from $156.00-$158.00. Dressed deals in the north were mostly priced around $247.00 delivered. The overall average prices for the week, as reported by the USDA Mandatory Price Report, saw live steers average $155.79, down $0.63 and live heifers average $155.55 down $0.52 from the previous week. On the rail, steers averaged $246.82 dressed, down $1.73, and dressed heifers averaged $246.79 down $0.98 from the previous weeks weighted average prices. This week the U.S. cash cattle trade was quiet until Thursday morning with trade reported as light to moderate in most feeding states. Business in the south ranged from $153.00-$155.00 live, mainly $155.00 live which is steady to $1.00 higher than last week's southern trade. In the north business is reported at $248.00 dressed, up $1.00 while some live trade was noted from $156.00-$159.00 mainly steady. This morning a few bids in the south have surfaced at $155.00 live but no trade has developed. Some clean up deals are possible this morning but it appears the bulk of trade is completed and the market is established. Jamie Gamble - Beef Farmers of Ontarios market information report.