Other livestock

Decorative picture of alternative livestock
Quick Facts 2022
  • Bison
    • 149,539 bison on 989 farms in Canada (source: 2021 census of agriculture)
    • Bison production in Canada is concentrated in the west, with 82% of the herd in Saskatchewan and Alberta
    • 10,794 bison slaughtered by federally and provincially licensed establishments
    • Exports: 32,718 live bison valued at $92 million and 382 tonnes of bison meat valued at $6.86 million. Bison meat exports are primarily to the US, but boneless product is also shipped to numerous countries in Europe, most notably Switzerland, Netherland and Italy
    • Imports: 479 tonnes of bison meat valued at $10.5 million
  • Goats
    • 253,278 goats on 4,801 Canadian farms.(source: 2021 census of agriculture). In Canada, the goat industry can be segmented into three distinct sectors: chevon (meat), dairy (milk) and fiber (mohair and cashmere)
    • 95,205 goats slaughtered in Canada. Over 99% of these goats were processed at provincially inspected establishments
    • Exports 56 head of goat valued at $47,416
    • Imports: 2,148 tonnes of goat meat valued at $20.5 million
  • Cervids
    • 29,655 farm raised cervids (deer and elk) on 402 farms (source: 2021 census of agriculture)
    • Elk are primarily farmed in Western Canada and red deer in Eastern Canada. Fallow deer, white-tailed deer and other cervid species are farmed throughout Canada
    • 1,203 deer and 1,949 elk slaughtered in federally and provincially inspected establishments in Canada
    • Exports: 71,292 kg of elk meat
    • Imports: 370 tonnes of venison
  • Mink
    • 1,003,600 mink pelts valued at $30 million, produced on 63 Canadian farms (2020)
 

If you have any questions or require additional information, please send an e-mail to aafc.redmeat-vianderouge.aac@agr.gc.ca

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