Canadian Hog Inventories Rise Despite Challenges

Aug 28, 2024
By Jean-Paul McDonald
Assistant Editor, North American Content, Farms.com

Increased Hog Counts Offset by Drops in Pig Crop and Slaughter

Canadian hog farmers faced a mix of challenges and opportunities, according to Statistics Canada as of July 1, 2024, overall hog inventories reported a rise despite several adversities.

Notably, hog producers across Canada reported a total of 14.0 million hogs, marking a 1.3% increase from the previous year. This growth occurred even amidst declining numbers in key categories such as pig crops and processing.

The primary regions for this livestock—Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba—which together house over 80% of the nation's hogs, all recorded year-over-year increases in their hog populations.

However, the total number of sows and gilts decreased slightly by 0.8% to 1.2 million, and the number of boars saw a more significant reduction of 3.1%, settling at 15,700 head.

A significant factor contributing to the decrease in pig crop, which fell to 14.9 million from January to June, was Quebec’s herd reduction program, aimed at managing local livestock numbers.

This 1.1% drop compared to the same period in the previous year reflects broader challenges within the sector.

Adding to the complexity, total hog slaughter across Canada from January to June decreased by 3.6% to 10.7 million head.

This decline in domestic processing was somewhat balanced by a surge in international exports of live hogs, which increased by 4.2% to 3.5 million head.

This rise in exports was primarily driven by producers in Eastern Canada looking to mitigate the impacts of reduced local slaughtering capacities.

Despite these mixed dynamics, the Canadian hog industry remains resilient, adapting to both internal shifts and global market demands.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.