In 1996, Canadian exports of cattle and beef accounted for
2.1 billion, the second single largest agricultural export product after wheat
($4.7 billion). Although 72% of the cow-calf farms are in Western Canada,
Eastern Canada is still an important meat producer and represents most of the
Canadian beef market. Beef cows outnumber dairy cows in every province except
Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. The slaughter has undergone major structural changes
in the nineties. Today the top four slaughter and processing plants account
for 70% to 75% of the total slaughter, compared with 53% in 1992.
