Canadian cattle producers appear to be leaning into herd rebuilding more aggressively than their American counterparts, with Canadian cattle inventories posting their strongest year-over-year increase in more than two decades while U.S. expansion remains tentative.
Statistics Canada reported Monday that Canadian producers held 12.1 million cattle and calves on farms as of July 1, up 3.2% from a year earlier. That was the largest year-over-year increase since 2004 and reflected gains across all major cattle categories.
Breeding inventories offered particularly strong evidence of rebuilding. Beef heifers kept for breeding increased 5.7% from a year earlier, while beef cow numbers rose 1.9%. Dairy breeding heifers were up 1.2%, bulls increased 1%, and dairy cows rose 0.9%.
Producers also held 3.8% more feeder heifers and 3.4% more steers, while the Canadian calf inventory climbed 4.6% to 3.9 million head.
Reduced slaughter helped support the increase. Canadian cattle and calf slaughter during the first half of 2026 declined 4.6% from a year earlier to 1.5 million head, the lowest January-to-June total since 2016. Meanwhile, live cattle exports fell 16.4% to 326,300 head, while imports surged 31.4% to 235,700 head, further adding to domestic supplies.
South of the border, the U.S. cattle herd is showing signs of stabilization but much less decisive rebuilding.
USDA estimated the July 1 U.S. cattle and calf inventory at 94.2 million head, up less than 1% from 94 million a year earlier and the first July increase since 2018.
However, the U.S. beef cow herd fell 1% to 28.5 million head, the smallest July inventory since records began in 1973. Beef replacement heifers increased 3% to 3.8 million head, offering an early indication of female retention, but the 2026 calf crop is projected at a record-low 32.5 million head - the ninth consecutive annual decline.
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