ONT Farm Market News PM Livestock Summary for October 14 Here is the Country Auction Report as collected by the Beef Farmers of Ontario Friday. * REPLACEMENT CATTLE: There were 1,600 head on offer at Brussels. Calves sold actively at steady prices. Yearlings had not sold at reporting time. Large & Medium Steers over 900 lbs:$168.57 - $223.08 Large & Medium Steers 700-800 lbs:$219.00 - $257.00 Large & Medium Steers 500-600 lbs:$248.00 - $320.00 Large & Medium Heifers over 800 lbs:$152.49 - $188.07 Large & Medium Heifers 600-700 lbs:$178.00 - $236.00 Large & Medium Heifers 500-600 lbs:$216.00 - $266.00 From the Beef Farmers of Ontario, the Rail Grade Report. Prices are on carcass weight basis, before grade and weight discounts. Steers: $303.00 - $303.00 Heifers: $302.00 - $302.00 *From Ontario Pork: *Quebec's average price on Thursday was $201.86 per ckg D.W. 100 index. *The previous markets day's CME Constructed (201) price was $92.97 U.S. per cwt. D.W. *Compared to the previous day this was up $0.58 *Average weekly price /ckg DW total value $259.41 *Total volume of Ont. hogs sold was 104583 * From the Beef Farmers of Ontario, the weekly beef commentary: Comments for the week ending October 13, 2022: Receipts of fed steers and heifers were light this week at 210 head, down 16 from the previous week and 4 fewer that the same time last year. Fed steers ranged from $171.58-$187.06 averaging $182.17 up $1.00 from the previous week and $23.96 stronger than year ago prices. Very light receipts of only 80 heifers ranged from $140.38-$182.19 averaging $163.66 down $13.51 from the week before but $13.10 higher than this time last year. The quality of the lighter heifer volumes was not as strong as last week as packers paid up to $200.00 for the good quality cattle and the bottom end of the range was much lower than last week. Auction markets reported trade as steady to firm with one market noting slightly higher prices. The Ontario railgrade market was very light this week with prices holding steady for the fourth consecutive week at $303.00 dressed for steers and $302.00-$303.00 for heifers, mainly $302.00 on very limited volumes. Delivery of the cattle sold this week is scheduled for the week of October 24th. Last year at this time the rail price trade sideways for 12 consecutive weeks at $270.00 cwt dressed, down $33.00 from the current market on average. About steady receipts of 1,726 fed/cull cows sold through auction markets, up 57 from last week but 402 fewer that the same time last year. As of this week, year-to-date volumes of cows sold through auction markets is sitting at 83,066 head, down 10.5% from the same time last year and 11.4% fewer than this time in 2020 year-to-date. Cows sold from $79.53-$118.65 averaging $97.89 down $1.19 from the previous week but $36.78 stronger than year ago prices. Auction markets reported trade as steady for the most part with one market noting trade as barely steady and another seeing stronger prices. By mid-week trade was fully steady on the good quality cows with plainer types selling easier, but ended the week selling barely steady. 457 of the cows sold this week were beef breeds, up 72 head from last week averaging $101.14 down $4.16 cwt from last weeks weighted average beef cow price. As of the week ending October 1, 2022, federally inspected processing volumes in Ontario are fully steady to last year at 458,195 head, but up 4.6% from the same time in 2020. In that mix, steer volumes processed federally in Ontario are at 298,015 head, up 1.4% from the same time in 2021 and 2.8% more than October 1, 2020 year-to-date. Heifer volumes are at 85,286 head processed down 11% from 2021 and 2% less that the same time in 2020. Cow volumes are up 6.2% over October 1, 2021 at 71,699 head year to date and up 20.4% over the same time in 2020. The Canadian Beef Grading Agency reports that as of October 1, 2022, 5.5% of the Ontario cattle processed graded prime, down from 6.2% in 2021. AAA is at 68.3% this year compared to 69.9% last year at this time. AA makes up 23.7% as of October 1, 2022 up from 21.7% in 2021 and A grade cattle are at 0.8% up from 0.7% the same time last year. Lighter receipts of stocker and feeder cattle sold this week as fewer special sales took place, however next week the special sales begin to ramp up. This week there were 5,502 head of replacements sold through auction markets down 2,444 from the week before and 2,045 fewer than the same time last year. Auction markets reported trade as active with calves steady to fully steady and heifer calves noted as stronger. Yearlings were steady to fully steady but by mid-week yearling steers were reported as under pressure. By weeks end trade was steady to stronger with quality considered. Actual average prices this week saw steers 400-500 lbs up $4.62 from the week before, 500-600 lbs up $2.32. 600-700 lbs down $4.01, 700-800 lbs down $15.49, 800-900 lbs up $0.57, 900-1000 lbs down $2.38 and steers 1000 lbs and over averaged $3.69 easier than last week on average. Heifers from 300-400 lbs were up $2.96 from the previous week, 400-500 lbs up $7.23, 500-600 lbs up $5.19, 600-700 lbs up $6.06, 700-800 lbs up $0.31, 800-900 lbs down $0.49 while heifers 900 lbs and over averaged $8.88 stronger than last weeks weighted average price. Alberta direct trade was light this week, with prices steady to $4.00 cwt lower than last week from $298.00-$300.00 cwt delivered on a dressed basis, compared to $300.00-$304.00 last week. Canfax reports: "In some instances, packers were limiting the amount of cattle they were buying from each producer. Cattle that traded were being scheduled for the second half of November delivery. US packer interest has been noted and bids are a couple dollars higher than last week. Depending on freight and dressing percentage, US bids are working back to the mid to upper $180s/cwt FOB lot. US bids are at a premium over local sales, but no cattle have traded so far. Truck availability or possibly grading specs could be deterring producers from selling cattle south. The U.S. cash cattle trade the week ending October 7th was $1.00-$2.00 cwt higher than the previous weeks trade. In the south prices ranged from $143.00-$144.50 live, mainly $144.00, while in the north trade ranged from $144.00-$150.00 live and $228.00-$234.00 dressed. Overall averages for the week, reported by the USDA Mandatory Report saw live steers average $146.23 up $1.45 from the previous week with heifers averaging $145.70 up $1.52. On the rail steers averaged $230.28 up $1.11 from the week before while heifers averaged $230.47 up $1.49. This week the U.S. cash cattle trade was at a standstill until Thursday, with just a couple of deals noted in Iowa at $230.00 dressed, but not nearly enough to establish a market. Sellers hoped for prices at least $1.00 higher than last week while packers are tried to hold the market steady. Light to moderate trade on Thursday went the side of the sellers with southern trade mainly $145.00 live, up $1.00 cwt from the previous week. In the north some live trade was noted from $145.00-$150.00 with dressed deals from $230.00- $232.00, most at $232.00 cwt up $2.00 from last week. Today the market is quiet and it appears that the bulk of trade for the week is completed. Jamie Gamble - Beef Farmers of Ontarios market information report