The hog inventory is increasing in Canada, and so is hog slaughter. Statistics Canada released a report Thursday showing, while the number of hog farms in Canada has gone down slightly, hog populations have gone up about one per cent from last year.
Canada exported almost three million head in the first half of the year, which is more than 17 per cent higher than last year. Hog slaughter also increased in Canada during the same time frame, up three per cent from 2014.
The U.S. has also seen a strong demand for hogs, with an increase in slaughter this year as well.
Meanwhile, the Canadian cattle inventory continues to shrink. On July 1, Canadian farmers had 13 million head on their farms, which is down 2.1 per cent from last year, and down 23 per cent from 10 years ago. According to a Statistics Canada report released Thursday, herds have decreased as both slaughter and exports fell earlier in the year and, while prices remain strong, limited cattle supplies mean there are fewer animals available to market.
Dairy cow and heifer numbers are also down from last year.
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