Beef (notably STEAK) Prices - Ouch

[doetracks]

Saturday night is steak night around here, rib steaks being my cut of choice.

IGA here in Devon had a sale on them last week, so I had bought a couple on Wednesday. Had an extra body yesterday, ran over to IGA to grab an extra one, planning on having to pay the $28.99/Kg price I remembered seeing.

$36.99 / Kg

Needless to say, I pulled one out of my freezer, instead.

I remembered seeing an article a couple weeks ago that the price of beef has increased 40% in the last 3 years.

Sadly, we don't hunt anymore

Looks like creative planning for groceries is becoming more and more of a necessity.

[CaberTosser]

Hopefully a fair amount of that is making its way into producers pockets, rather than being eaten up by the middlemen.

[Hotwheels81]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

Hopefully a fair amount of that is making its way into producers pockets, rather than being eaten up by the middlemen.

Calf prices around here are approx $500ea

Mature stock is/was approx $3000 a head

A buddy of mine who's been in cows most of his life is wearing a big grin these days for some reason? Lol

[recce43]

lobster is cheaper than beef . by the the end of summer the kids will be saying no more lobster dad

[omega50]

I am quite happy for the producers-about time.

Rib Steaks in Calgary can be a bit spendy as well.

http://www.secondtononemeats.com/products/beef/

[elkivory]

And what about Pork?

It's really getting stupid. I am happy I hunt, my meat costs a fraction of the price. Just had a delicious moose burger for breakfast.

[great white whaler]

Time to go on a tum diet

[crownb]

We need about 10 years of these prices to make up for the 10-12 years of terrible prices from mad cow and the drought combined, unfortunately with the current drought we are in I am afraid cattle will crash again.

[doetracks]

I know pork is up, too.

500 g packages of bacon replaced by 375 g, swine flu I think?

Bird flu for chickens, depleted stocks, egg prices up in some areas.

I guess I need to make friends with a producer. Don't really have room for a deep freeze, but what else do you do?

[ORVIS]

the cattle prices need to go up, a lot of farmers worked there whole life here in central alberta without even getting ahead because as soon as the oil came they forgot about the farmers

[Nova]

It was kind of shocking to see that it's now cheaper to feed my dog (raw) stuff like elk, bison, duck, lamb, etc than beef.

I was lucky to snag a big strip loin from Costco in spring before prices really started climbing. All vacuum sealed, looks like I'll be rationing for a while and eating more pork in the future.

[amosfella]

Dad got about $3/lb rail price at the auction the other day for grass finished steers. Prices are starting to go down a bit. I think they'll be crashing in the next while...

The middlemen are taking most of the profit though...

[elkivory]

Originally Posted by doetracks

I know pork is up, too.

500 g packages of bacon replaced by 375 g, swine flu I think?

Bird flu for chickens, depleted stocks, egg prices up in some areas.

I guess I need to make friends with a producer. Don't really have room for a deep freeze, but what else do you do?

There have never been more pork producers in Canada, then now. Yet the prices are double of what they were only two years ago.

Just like the Milk board that tosses 100,000s of thousands of litres of milk down the drain to artificially keep the prices high, I suspect that the Pork Producers board or whatever they are call have a lot to do with it.

We get ripped off big time in Canada vs. the consumer is the USA.

[doetracks]

Originally Posted by amosfella

...The middlemen are taking most of the profit though...

That I believe.

I have no prob with the producers getting what they deserve, spent lots of years working feedlots prior to current career.

My point is, the end consumer prices.

If it prices me out of my steak night, so be it. I can only afford what I can afford

[Astrocyte]

I cannot remember when it was but I paid $12 for a pound of ground beef. So stupid. I can understand the prices on the farm affect things after but boy the markup is getting high.

Does anyone think if introducing game meat into the market if that would help balance pork and beef prices? I understand it still costs a lot to manage a herd of elk or deer but maybe it could help? Main reason I ask is I am not a hunter so I have no access to game meat other than the elk at farmers markets or going to expensive butcher shops. I would love nothing more than to pick up venison at sobeys for example. But I am naive to how possibly having game meat introduced would have an impact on things.

[crownb]

Originally Posted by Astrocyte

I cannot remember when it was but I paid $12 for a pound of ground beef. So stupid. I can understand the prices on the farm affect things after but boy the markup is getting high.

Does anyone think if introducing game meat into the market if that would help balance pork and beef prices? I understand it still costs a lot to manage a herd of elk or deer but maybe it could help? Main reason I ask is I am not a hunter so I have no access to game meat other than the elk at farmers markets or going to expensive butcher shops. I would love nothing more than to pick up venison at sobeys for example. But I am naive to how possibly having game meat introduced would have an impact on things.

Go talk to a elk,deer or bison farmer. You can buy animals for butcher.

[David Henry]

Got a couple of calves (700lb) cleaning up the pasture around my place, they will be freezer bound in October when I can hang them without a cooler. Cant get over what they are asking for a pound of burger at the grocery store or a gallon of gas at the pumps. I don't grudge any farmer or oil worker a living but when we sit on vast oil reserves and a beef industry second to none you would think that prices would not have skyrocketed as much as they have for Albertans in the past few years. I imagine now that the NDP are at the helm they will cut the fuel taxes so the unemployed can ride the transit system for way less money and mail out food vouchers so we can all eat steak at pennies on the dollar. D.H.

[Redfrog]

Price at auction is dropping as the dry weather continues. a lot of pasture is run out and hay and feed crops are stalled. This year is pretty much a write off and I know some who have been feeding now and will be out of feed by Oct.

Pork loins have been available for $2 a lb. Cut into loin roasts, boneless chops Stuffed chops and roasts, pulled pork or in the smoker for Back bacon. Grind it myself and mix with beef for mmmmm bbq burgers or meat loaf.

[nick0danger]

Originally Posted by amosfella

Dad got about $3/lb rail price at the auction the other day for grass finished steers. Prices are starting to go down a bit. I think they'll be crashing in the next while...

The middlemen are taking most of the profit though...

Grass feed is cheaper, grain finished is the way to go.

[amosfella]

Originally Posted by nick0danger

Grass feed is cheaper, grain finished is the way to go.

I disagree... Properly fattened grass fed beef is so tasty...

[Bushrat]

[QUOTE=Redfrog;2878284]

Pork loins have been available for $2 a lb. QUOTE]

Not in these parts. Where are you shopping??

[Vigilante]

I got pork side ribs for $1.99 lb yesterday at Co op. Pork loin was $3.49 lb and tenderloin was $3.99

[sureshot]

I bought a nice tenderloin yesterday for 7.90, in the smoker as we speak.

[Redfrog]

[QUOTE=Bushrat;2878344]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

Pork loins have been available for $2 a lb. QUOTE]

Not in these parts. Where are you shopping??

No frills and walmart for the last few weeks. I also get them from the place that starts with Cos and ends with Tco that we don't mention. but they are a little more money there. Bigger and better too I think. Depends what I'm gonna do with them.

[David Henry]

Western Feedlots and Lakeside feeders finish on a stiff barley ration for very good reasons as do most if not all Alberta feedlots. If grass finished beef is your cup of tea then you would probably like that corn finished stuff they raise in Kansas, a grey, waxy, tasteless result is not what I like to see. Long live Alberta beef. D.H.

[huntsfurfish]

Please stop...










I dont want to become a vegan......

[alacringa]

I love beef, but have hardly had it at all in the past few months (and then usually when eating out). Fish, chicken, and pork are much more affordable right now. I need to get meat in the freezer this fall -- never got a big game animal last year. Hoping to have lamb if I get my draw.

[David Henry]

Ok I will halt the Alberta beef promotion, besides I think the misses has just turned on the BBQ for the tofu patties she's been fixin for Sunday supper.

[doetracks]

Originally Posted by alacringa

I love beef...

Meeeee toooooo.

[doetracks]

Originally Posted by David Henry

Western Feedlots and Lakeside feeders finish on a stiff barley ration for very good reasons as do most if not all Alberta feedlots. If grass finished beef is your cup of tea then you would probably like that corn finished stuff they raise in Kansas, a grey, waxy, tasteless result is not what I like to see. Long live Alberta beef. D.H.

Yessir.

IMO grain finished is the way to go.

I worked on a couple feedlots (out of Okotoks and Blackie) and lived very very close to Hitch Feeders in KS. I know of what you speak.