Canadian cattle and hog inventories on January 1 were down compared to one year prior, Statistics Canada reported today.
This was the third consecutive year of declining livestock herds, though losses were more modest than the previous two years.
Cattle and calves on Canadian farms totalled 10.9 million as of Jan. 1, down 0.7 per cent from the same date last year. This was the smallest year-over-year decline since Jan. 1, 2022. StatCan attributed this to more abundant feed in 2024.
Year-over-year decreases in breeding stock were observed, with bulls declining 1.8 per cent and beef cow numbers shrinking by 1.2 per cent. Beef heifers for breeding rose 0.8 per cent.
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Dairy cow numbers were virtually unchanged.
Slaughter from July to December fell 4.6 per cent year over year. Exports of live cattle rose 1.9 per cent.
Hog producers reported 13.9 million hogs on farms as of Jan. 1. This was down 0.9 per cent from the previous January. Quebec recorded a 3.2 per cent year-over-year decline in inventories after that province implemented a herd reduction program.
Producers reported a 1.6 per cent decline in sows and gilts. Boars were down 2.6 per cent.
Total slaughter between July and December decreased 1.0 per cent to 10.7 million head. International exports of live hogs fell 3.6 per cent to 3.3 million head compared to the same six-month period in 2023. StatCan noted production declined following reductions of processing capacity.
