(File Photo/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Mat Barrett

Beef Prices

Beef prices are up, but it’s not cattle producers that are benefitting

Aug 7, 2020 | 1:28 PM

Cattle producers say they are not benefitting from sharp increases in beef prices at the grocery store during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics Canada released an update yesterday (Wed), which shows beef strip loin went from $18.60 a kilogram in February to $30.83 in June.

Arnold Balicki is the President of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association.

“I hope consumers realize it’s not the producers it’s not the feed lot guys that are benefitting from that huge increase in beef prices,” he said. “It is the packers and or the retailers.”

He said it’s not the first time this has happened.

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“We could go back to the years where packers were buying cows for like $30, and selling burger for $5 and $6 a pound,” Balicki said. “It was just unbelievable what they were doing to livestock producers on that one.”

Balicki added this shouldn’t change how people look at livestock producers.

“Please, when you see an agricultural guy in the store, don’t want to frown down on them,” he said. “It’s not him, it’s not her that’s getting the money, its just not us at all.”

Balicki said cattle prices are slowly rising, but are still below pre-COVID levels.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6