Marketing

The fed cattle marketing committee develops marketing strategies aligned with the specific needs of the sector. It also administers a research fund. A negotiation committee was created to support the marketing committee; it is responsible for developing, executing, and finalizing business negotiations within the fed cattle production sector in conjunction with the PBQ.

Fed cattle are marketed through the fed cattle sales agency; one of its roles is to improve and standardize conditions governing sales and payments to producers. Since January 1, 2025, all producers who sell 20 fed cattle or more within the same week are required to hold a certificate of compliance from the Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) program. Fed cattle are sold on the basis of warm carcass weight after slaughter. They are usually graded by the Canadian Beef Grading Agency (CBGA), which allows our finance service to issue payments according to a pricing grid, as applicable.

There are three ways to market cattle that are authorized by the sales agency:

• Electronic auctions are conducted every Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Producers must contact the sales agency by 11:00 a.m. the day of the auction to declare the lots they wish to sell. Details on the number of fed cattle, average weight, sex, breed, and all other relevant details are required for a lot to be registered.
• In direct sales to buyers (which may be conducted with or without the involvement of the agency), producers sell their fed cattle directly to abattoirs. In order to deliver cattle, have them delivered on their behalf, or allow a buyer to take possession of them, fed cattle producers must first request an authorization number from the sales agency.
• Live animals may be sold at auction.

Responsibilities of the sales agency:

• Administer the Règlement sur la production et la mise en marché des bouvillons d’abattage (Regulation respecting the production and marketing of fed cattle)
• Negotiate and execute the marketing agreement with abattoirs
• Manage the Règlement sur la garantie de responsabilité financière des acheteurs de bovins (Regulation respecting cattle purchasers’ guarantee of financial responsibility), in collaboration with the Régie des marchés agricoles et alimentaires du Québec (RMAAQ)
• Issue invoices and payment for fed cattle sold to abattoirs
• Manage exchange contracts for sales to the United States
• Negotiate sales with abattoirs
• Develop new markets

• Monitor developments in reference markets and keep producers informed