Canfax Weekly Article | Report for the week of March 30, 2026

Last week, the Canfax average fed steer and heifer price closed around $321/cwt live, steady with the previous week. Buying interest was noted from all Western Canadian packers while U.S. inquiries were limited. Light trade was reported with dressed sales ranging from $535.50-539.00/cwt FOB the feedlot. In some instances, cattle were bought flat with no heavy weight carcass discounts, while other sales had heavy weight discounts at 1,050 pounds. Most of the cattle that traded were scheduled for the first half of April delivery. For the week ending March 20th, Western Canadian steer carcass weights were 956 pounds, 17 pounds larger than last year.

The Canfax feeder steer and heifer prices closed the week $4-11/cwt higher. Week over week, the largest price increase was noted on light weight steer calves with prices advancing $15-18/cwt. Alberta 550 pound steer price are $5/cwt shy of their highs set back in early March. Steers weighing over 800 pounds traded $5-9/cwt higher while same weight heifers were steady to $4/cwt stronger. Western Canadian barley prices have rallied $20/tonne over the past month or so. Barley is trading at the highest point since early July 2025. Alberta auction volumes were just over 26,000 head, 1,000 head larger than last year. Canadian feeder cattle exports to the U.S. for the week ending March 14th totaled 2,936 head.

Last week, Alberta D2 cows traded $3.50/cwt higher, averaging $241.50/cwt with a range from $210-265/cwt. D3 cows averaged $220/cwt. YTD Canadian non-fed beef production is down 8 per cent compared to last year. As a result Canadian beef imports have been strong to start the year off. Butcher bulls traded $8/cwt higher, averaging $257.64/cwt, with a range from $220-301/cwt. Canadian slaughter bull exports to the U.S. for the week ending March 14th totaled 353 head.

Bull

• Canadian retail beef prices are holding near record high levels
• Alberta fed basis levels historically strengthen from March to April
• U.S. 90 per cent trim prices established new highs last week

Bear

• Canadian beef exports in January were below last year and below the five-year average
• U.S. pork (+3 per cent) and broiler (+1 per cent) production for 2026 is expected to be larger than 2025
• Union workers at the JBS Greeley Colorado slaughter plant are going into their third week of strike action