The Canadian Dairy Industry

Trivia Time

• the dairy industry contributes more than $7 billion annually to Canada's economy
• the dairy processing industry is the second-largest food processing sector, after meat and meat products
• Canadian milk is internationally recognized for its superior quality
• Canada has one of the highest average milk production per cow in the world (8,738 kg of milk in 305 days of lactations). Note: 1 kilo of milk is approximately 1 litre of milk.
• the two largest milk-producing provinces in Canada are Quebec and Ontario
• there are approximately 1.2 million dairy cows in Canada
• the average size herd in Canada is 54 cows
• there are about 21, 500 dairy farms in Canada
• a typical dairy farm has about 100 ha (250 acres) and has a value of approximately $1 million (this figure includes land, quota, cows, machinery and buildings)