Statistics Canada’s July census figures reported that cattle numbers reached a record level in June following the closure of international markets. Lower slaughter figures added to the higher than normal population.
The herd increased by nearly two percent to 15.7 million head, of which nearly five million were beef cows and one million dairy.
Alberta has the largest population at 6.3 million, followed by Saskatchewan at 2.9 million and Ontario at 2.1 million.
These figures include all dairy and beef cows, steers, calves and bulls.
Between January and June of this year, 1.6 million cattle were slaughtered in Canada, down from 1.9 million in the same period last year.
For all of 2002, 3.5 million head were killed.
