The Industry
The Industry
Canada's dairy sector is a significant and growing part of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food economy. Composed of federal and provincial bodies, national organizations and private companies, the dairy industry works to supply Canadians with a wide range of high quality dairy products.
Quick Facts
- Canada's dairy sector functions under a supply management system based on planned domestic production, administered pricing and dairy product import controls.
- The CDC supports the industry by implementing national policies for dairy production, by assessing changes in demand for milk and dairy products and production of milk, and by coordinating the pooling of milk revenue and the market-sharing systems.
- The Canadian dairy industry operates on a "dairy year" basis which runs from August 1 to July 31 of the following year.
- During the 2005 calendar year, total net farm cash receipts from the dairy sector generated $4.84 billion. This puts the dairy industry in fourth place in the Canadian agriculture sector behind grains, red meats and horticulture.
- There are two markets for milk in Canada. The fluid market (table milk and fresh cream) accounts for 38% of milk production or 28.3 million hectolitres. The industrial market (manufactured dairy products such as butter, cheese, yogurt and ice cream) accounts for the remaining 62% of total milk production with 46.5 million hectolitres of processed milk.
- In 2005, dairy products shipped from approximately 463 dairy processing plants (295 of which are federally-inspected) were valued at $11.5 billion, accounting for 15.9% of all processing sales in the food and beverage industry in Canada.
- During the 2004-2005 dairy year, nearly 38,000 people worked in dairy farms and almost 26,000 others in primary dairy processing sector.
- About 81% of Canada's dairy farms are in Ontario and Quebec, 13% in the Western provinces, and 6% in the Atlantic provinces.
- During the 2005-2006 dairy year, there were 1.06 million cows in Canada on 15,552 dairy farms, delivering 75.57 million hectolitres of milk.
- In 2005, the average Canadian dairy farm had 66 cows.
- According to Dairy Herd Improvement data, the average annual production of a Canadian dairy cow in 2005 was an impressive 9,422 kg.
- The main breeds of dairy cows are: Holstein (comprising more than 93% of Canadian dairy herds), Ayrshire, Jersey, Brown Swiss, La Canadienne, Guernsey, and Milking Shorthorn.
- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for establishing dairy product standards and grades, conducting dairy plant inspections, and regulating packaging and labeling requirements. The CFIA is also responsible for animal health programs and the monitoring of product safety.
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's mandate includes writing dairy policy, conducting research, assisting market development and rural development, as well as ensuring livestock improvement.
Research
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