Canadian Cattle Statistics February 2007

By Statistics Canada. Canada’s national cattle herd continued to decline in 2006, plunging by 515,000 head in the wake of renewed live cattle exports to the United States.
calendar icon 8 March 2007
clock icon 2 minute read

Highlights

  • Canada’s national cattle herd continued to decline in 2006, plunging by 515,000 head in the wake of renewed live cattle exports to the United States. 2006 marked the first full year the border has been open to Canadian cattle shipments since 2002.
  • As of January 1, 2007, cattlemen reported 14.3 million head on their farms, down 3.5% from the previous year and 748,000 below the January record established in 2005 when closed borders forced producers to keep more of their farm stock off the market.
  • The livestock survey also showed declines in both hog and sheep inventories during the year. Hog producers indicated they had 14.3 million head at January 1, 2007. Farmers reported 886,000 sheep on their farms, down 1.1%.
  • Exports of live cattle struggle upwards
  • Cattle herd declines in all regions

Analysis

Cattle estimates as of January 1, 2007

Canada’s national cattle herd continued to decline in 2006, plunging by 515,000 head in the wake of renewed live cattle exports to the United States. 2006 marked the first full year the border has been open to Canadian cattle shipments since 2002.

As of January 1, 2007, cattlemen reported 14.3 million head on their farms, down 3.5% from the previous year and 748,000 below the January record established in 2005 when closed borders forced producers to keep more of their farm stock off the market.

Despite the drop, the 2007 inventory was still 827,000 above the January 1, 2003 level, prior to the border closure, according to the annual January Livestock Survey of 10,000 producers.

The American border was reopened to live cattle under 30 months of age on July 18, 2005. The ban on Canadian cattle and beef took effect after disclosure of a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on May 20, 2003.

In general, inventories in the West rose during the early 1990s as farmers increased production in response to expanding export markets. With the closure of the U.S. markets, thousands of cattle were held back on Canadian farms. As the cattle inventories trend lower, the Canadian industry is returning to the way it was before the borders were closed.

The livestock survey also showed declines in both hog and sheep inventories during the year. Hog producers indicated they had 14.3million head at January 1, 2007. Farmers reported 886,000 sheep on their farms, down 1.1%.

Text table 1

Livestock inventories at January 1

Further information

To read the full report please click here (PDF format)

February 2007
© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.