Canadian cattle herd continues to decline, says StatsCan

Statistics Canada (StatsCan) has released its latest report on Canadian livestock inventories.

As of January 1, 2024, Canadian cattle, hog, and sheep inventories were down compared with the same date one year earlier.

According to StatsCan, Canadian farmers held 11.1 million cattle and calves on their farms on January 1, 2024, which is down 2.1 per cent year-over-year, making it the smallest cattle herd size since 1989.

Producers responded to challenges such as record average producer prices, drought conditions, and tight feed supply by sending breeding stock to feedlots.

As far as breeding stock inventories go, there were some significant shifts. Year-over-year decreases were observed across all breeding stock categories, with fewer feeder heifers (-0.7 per cent), steers (-0.2 per cent), and calves (-3.0 per cent) compared to the same date in 2023.

Average warm carcass weights of cattle increased by 18.0 per cent compared to 1999, helping offset any decline in beef production over the same period.

From July to December 2023, the total disposition of cattle and calves increased by 0.9 per cent compared to the same period in 2022. However, total supply declined by 1.5 per cent. Notably, international imports of cattle and calves dropped by 25.7 per cent to 153,400 head, while international exports surged by 14.0 per cent to 389,200 head.

Total cattle inventories, January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024

You can read the full report, here.