Over 1,400 head sold at Stratton cattle sale

Ken Johnston

Prices went as high as $1.24/lb. last Saturday at the first Stratton cattle sale of the year.
Sales Barn Manager Russell Richards said, “I thought it was a very strong sale. Quality cattle sold themselves”
The Rainy River Cattlemen’s Association (RRCA) saw 1,434 cattle show up at the barn over the weekend. Of those only a half dozen were buybacks, by a producer that felt they were not getting what the cattle was worth. It was an open sale allowing all types of livestock to be sold. Last year about 800 cattle were sold at the spring sale.
Richards said things started off strong with a lot of 17 (600-700 lbs.) heifers fetching 91¢/lb. which he feels is better than Winnipeg. “Our sale was as good if not better than Winnipeg and I thank the local producers for supporting the local barn.”
There were buyers from the east, west and local. Richards said the buyers from the east kept things very solid price wise. “I had many farmers thanking me for having the sale, all pleased with what they got for their animals.”
With the past year being as tough as it was with the discovery of Mad Cow Disease in Canada and the United States, Richards was pleased with the turn out at the sale both from the producers and the buyers. He expects things to get better as an announcement on Friday that hanging beef with the bone in will be allowed into the U.S. is a step in the right direction towards the border being fully reopened.

The next sale for RRCA is the first weekend in September. It will be a yearling sale.