8.4 Large Animal Production Terms
Production Breeds and Purposes
In Canada, some animal products are managed via supply management, which means there is a limited quantity of each product that can be produced for the nation, and farmers must purchase permits or “quota” in order to produce a set amount. They cannot sell more than their permit allows. The products that are regulated by this system are chicken and turkey products, eggs, and dairy. This system helps maintain cost stability in products that it regulates, and ensures farmers are fairly compensated for their products (Heminthavong, 2018).
| Production Industry | Species and product |
|---|---|
| Red meat |
|
| Dairy |
|
| Fibre |
|
Information in table compiled from Government of Canada [AAFC] (2021a, 2021e).
Fun Facts
- As of 2022, the most common breed of cow for beef production is the angus (Government of Canada, 2021b), and about 40% of Canada’s beef farms are in Alberta (Government of Canada, 2021c).
- The most common dairy breed in Canada is the Holstein, but other dairy cow breeds include the jersey and the brown Swiss, among others (Government of Canada, 2021e).
- Quebec and Ontario produce the most dairy products in Canada (Government of Canada, 2021d).
Common breed images:
Exercises
References
Government of Canada. (2021a, June 15). Canada’s red meat and livestock industry at a glance. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2024, from https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/animal-industry/red-meat-livestock-market-information/industry-profile
Government of Canada. (2021b, June 15). Beef registrations in Canada. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2024, from https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/animal-industry/canadian-dairy-information-centre/publications/statistics-canadas-animal-genetics/beef-registrations-canada
Government of Canada. (2021c, June 15). Cattle/beef and veal. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2024, from https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/animal-industry/red-meat-and-livestock-market-information/cattlebeef-and-veal
Government of Canada. (2021d, June 18). Distribution of total milk quota by province. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2024, from https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/animal-industry/canadian-dairy-information-centre/statistics-market-information/farm-statistics/distribution-quota
Government of Canada. (2021e, June 22). Canada’s dairy industry at a glance. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Retrieved May 15, 2024, from https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/animal-industry/canadian-dairy-information-centre/dairy-industry
Heminthavong, K. (2018, November 30). Canada’s supply management system. Library of Parliament. https://lop.parl.ca/staticfiles/PublicWebsite/Home/ResearchPublications/BackgroundPapers/PDF/2018-42-e.pdf
Image Credits (images are listed in order of appearance)
Holsteiner BRW by Les Meloures, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Midlands by Valentina Storti, CC BY-NC 2.0.
Angora goat {capra hircus} by Drew Avery, CC BY 2.0.
Angus beef cattle in pasture by Unknown, CC0.
