Canadian cattle numbers were down 0.5 percent on July 1st, compared to the same date one year ago.
Statistics Canada reports the decline would have been even larger if it weren’t for COVID-19. Processing was reduced this spring as hundreds of employees were sick with COVID-19 at two major packing plants in Alberta.
Canadian cattle inventories have declined every year since 2005. There were 12.2 million cattle on-farm, which is 27.5 percent below the total from fifteen years ago.
Cattle producers retained less breeding stock in 2020, as the number of beef heifers held for breeding on Canadian farms was down 0.8 percent year over year to 630,800 head.
The number of beef cows decreased 1.4 percent, while the number of feeder heifers increased 2.5 percent and steer numbers declined 0.8 percent.
Alberta had 40 percent of the national cattle herd with 4,940,000 head. Saskatchewan was next at 2,610,000, or 21 percent.
International exports of cattle and calves decreased by 10.7 percent. Exports to the United States were affected by temporary plant closures due to COVID-19.
Even though beef prices paid by consumers have risen considerably this year, Statistics Canada says the January to June average cattle price received by producers was lower.
Meanwhile, Canadian hog numbers were pretty much steady at 14 million head. Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba account for more than 80 percent of national production. Saskatchewan ranks number five with 975,000 head. Alberta is number four at 1.51 million.
Statistics Canada also reports national sheep and lamb inventories were down 2.6 percent, at 1, 014,000 head. Ontario and Quebec account for just over half of that total. Saskatchewan is the number four province at 108,000 head and Alberta came in at number three with 190,000 head.
It should be noted that the July Livestock Survey data was not directly collected from farmers this year in an effort to reduce response burden. Data were extracted from administrative files and used as a replacement to survey collection. Data were analyzed utilizing supply and disposition data to create estimates.
