Canadians are still feeling the high cost of beef, much of which can be traced back to the start of production, where cattle prices have surged.

The latest market data compiled by Trading Economics shows cattle prices are up nearly 20 per cent over the past year. Meanwhile, Statistics Canada reports beef prices have climbed almost 14 per cent compared to a year ago outpacing overall food inflation.

The increases are being felt across the system from ranchers, to feedlots, to consumers at the grocery store.
On Kolk Farms near Lethbridge in southern Alberta, where thousands of cattle are finished before heading to processing plants, CEO Leighton Kolk says the price of animals has climbed significantly since the pandemic.
“Five years ago, we could buy a young baby calf from our rancher for $500 or $600,” Kolk said.
“(Now) I’ve heard prices as high as $2,500 for a baby calf.”
That increase carries through the entire production cycle, which can take more than a year from calf to finished animal.
“One of the big things we need to really focus on is trying to purchase our animal and be able to project what we can sell it for a year from now,” Kolk said.
A combination of drought and rising input costs has made it more expensive to raise cattle.
Dry conditions across Western Canada and the U.S. Midwest have reduced available grass and driven up feed costs, forcing some producers to cut back.
Those pressures have contributed to a shrinking cattle supply.