Sask. cattle totals down more than 100K over past year: StatCan
The number of cattle in Saskatchewan has decreased by more than 100,000 over the past year, according to Statistics Canada estimates.
Cattle totals decreased by 4.2 per cent since July 2021, which represents a decline of approximately 109,000 from last year.
Saskatchewan saw drought conditions for a majority of the 2021 season, which continued in 2022 specifically in the southwest and south-central regions of the province, according to the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association.
Bill Prybylski, who farms near Willowbrook, Sask., said last year’s drought was hard on the industry and put a severe strain on producers across the province.
“[The drought] is forcing a lot of farmers to seriously look at their livestock industry and whether or not it is going to be a part of their future,” Prybylski said.
Saskatchewan’s beef cow herd decreased by 5.6 per cent year-over-year, based on Statistics Canada data. The current Saskatchewan herd is 2,540,000 head which represents 20.7 per cent of the total Canadian herd.
“The herd last year was about 2,600,000,” said Grant McLellan, the CEO of Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association. “It is important to note there was a significant drought last and the drought has not ended.”
The dry conditions affected producers feed supply, according to the Cattlemen’s Association.
“We know there is feed available in other parts of the province, but it is a matter of getting it to the producers so they can ensure that their animals and herds are kept up,” said McLellan.
Meanwhile in the eastern parts of the province, weather conditions have steadily improved since last years drought.
“Lots of feed, lots of grass, lots of hay, lots of water, so we are sitting good right now,” said Prybylski.
A positive for cattle producers is demand for beef has jumped.
“Supply is down while the demand is up,” Natasha Wilkie, a policy analyst with the Saskatchewan government, said. “That is increasing our prices for our calves this fall.”
International exports of Canadian cattle and calves from January - June 2022 were up 50.5 per cent.
Exports from western Canada were strong because of spurred sales of feeder and slaughter animals to the United States.
There is a strong export demand for Canadian beef, especially from Japan and the United States.
“We have raised some really high quality beef here in Canada,” said Wilkie. “That is why they want our high quality products.”
However, with inflation rising, it is also becoming more expensive to transport materials due to fuel prices.
“We have higher fertilizer prices, high fuel prices, and then you are buying animals as well,” Wilkie said.
The Cattlemen’s Association is hoping weather conditions improve throughout the fall and winter season, especially in the southwest.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.