The Canadian beef herd has shown a small expansion of 1.3 percent compared to last summer, making it the first year-over-year increase since 2012.
The Statistics Canada livestock inventory report for July 1, 2016, reported growth in cattle and hog sectors but a decline for the sheep business.
The beef herd is at 13.2 million head on 81,465 operations.
Cattle producers retained an extra 4.5 percent more heifers for breeding. There are an estimated 641,800 heifers and 3.8 million cows. The cow number is up a third of a percent.
In total, there are 4.3 million calves on the ground, up nearly four percent from the same time last year. This is the first year-over-year increase since July 2005.
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However, some of those replacement heifers may end up in feedlots in the fall, said Brian Perillat, a Canfax market analyst.
“Our data shows on our cattle-on-feed report, heifer placements are quite high, but during the summer when placements are small, an increase in heifer placements can make a big percentage change,” he said. “We are just not growing here in Canada. Our cow slaughter has been higher than a year ago and heifer retention is increasing but only slightly. It is keeping everything balanced.”
Alberta remains the largest beef producing province at 5.37 million. It grew by one percent. That includes cows, calves and dairy animals.
British Columbia grew by 4.5 percent, increasing the provincial herd from 660,000 to 690,000. Manitoba grew by 3.7 percent, so the herd is now at 1.25 million. Saskatchewan grew by 1.1 percent, increasing the herd to 2.745 million. Eastern numbers were flat or lower since last year.
Exports decreased 10.6 percent to 433,700 head for all classes of cattle during the first half of 2016 compared with the same period in 2015.
This could change when fall sales start up and more feeders are offered for sale. However, there is plenty of grass and a less favourable market this fall, so sales could be delayed.
There are 13.5 million hogs on 7,035 farms. Ontario showed the most growth, increasing by 3.14 percent. The Prairies varied from 1.3 to 1.7 percent more hogs.
There are 1.2 million sows and gilts, up .7 percent from July 1, 2015.
Hog slaughter increased in Canada in the first six months of 2016, up 1.3 percent from the same period in 2015 to 10.6 million head.
Canada exported 2.9 million hogs in the first half of 2016, down .1 percent from the same period in 2015.
The dairy herd grew slightly and is up from 1.815 million to 1.891 million.
The sheep breeding flock decreased with 2.1 percent fewer ewes and 4.2 percent replacement lambs. Market lamb numbers were down 3.3 percent from last year.
barbara.duckworth@producer.com
