Cow market sees gains in 2022

Apr 21, 2022

Cattlemen have seen a strong recovery in the first quarter of 2022 in the slaughter cow price.

Anne Wasko, a Market Analyst with Gateway Livestock, says the first-quarter average was in the mid-80s, while in April we saw D2 cows trading in the high 90s, and up over $1 as well.

"That's been a big move since the start of the year, where they were 75 cents in early January. So big move on slaughter cow prices."

She says that the increase in the cow market is a result of the high demand for ground beef or lean trimmings not just here in Canada, but in the U.S. and globally.

Data shows that the fat cattle market has been fairly stagnant for the first quarter of 2022.

She says finish cattle have been in a negative position through the first quarter of this year, which is mainly due to the cost of feed.

"Feed costs are record high. Whether you're a cow-calf producer, or whether you're a backgrounder. You know, trying to hold some calves over to winter, or you're looking at a cattle finishing operation. In all cases, we're looking at record-high feed costs."

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.